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Replying to @aaronsmith
I rarely put pen to paper, but this privileged experience was worth the exception.
Four days, a lot of walking, a few people I admire enormously, and several I do not.
It's all in here👇
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Aaron Smith
62.4K posts
Aaron Smith
@aaronsmith
Tech for work, swimming for sanity, and doing my bit to fight for integrity in our politics. Also aaronsmith333 at the other place.
- You probably know the start of this Olympic story, but do you know how it finished? This photo is of Eric Moussambani, aka 'Eric the Eel' from Equatorial Guinea, competing in the 100m Freestyle event at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, alone. Why? /1
- American beef in Australia is like sending instant coffee to Italy. Who in Australia would want this?
- Holy shit - Brisbane out in force today for Palestine.♥️March for Palestine rally over Brisbane's Victoria Bridge is absolutely huge. Thank you to all Australians in Brisbane & around the country marching today against Israel’s genocide. Anyone not standing with Palestine at this point in time is clearly on the fringe. #FreePalestine
- Replying to @aaronsmithThe IOC's wild card initiative, designed to nurture sport in developing nations, arguably found success in Eric's story. He became an icon for swimming in Equatorial Guinea, which now features two Olympic-size pools, and Eric became the national coach in 2012. /8
- This is massive. Australians in huge numbers are rejecting the genocide and starvation of Palestinians.WILD FOOTAGE of Sydney Harbour Bridge (2.15pm) with huge protest taking place right now.
00:00 - Replying to @aaronsmithHere is Eric's iconic swim on YouTube. The conclusion of his story is arguably more important than its beginnings. #Olympics /end
- Replying to @aaronsmithAfter Sydney, Eric kept swimming. In 2004 he swam a 100 free time 56.9s (compared to 1:52.72 in Sydney). Two years later, he achieved a PB of 52.18 (5 seconds off the winning time Sydney 2000), and would've been fast enough for a Gold Medal at the Melbourne 1956 Olympics! /7
- Replying to @aaronsmithWhy was Eric there? The IOC's wild card strategy aimed to boost sports in developing nations like Equatorial Guinea. Eric heard the call for swimmers on the radio, and since he was the only one to show up, he made the team! The only issue was, Eric couldn't swim. /4
- Replying to @aaronsmithTo the Americans trying to community note me because Trump’s post looks like it’s from the future: it’s called a time zone. Australia is 14 hours ahead. We get tomorrow early - along with common sense, healthcare, and gun laws.
- Replying to @aaronsmithSo a few months out from the games, Eric started his training, partly with the assistance of fisherman in a lake. He was also given access to a 12M long hotel pool for up to 1hr, three times a week. Equatorial Guinea had no 50m pools. /5
- Replying to @aaronsmithIt seemed like he wasn't going to make the distance. Touching a lane rope would've been automatic disqualification. He completed in 1:52.72, the slowest time in Olympic History, and for comparison, 47 seconds slower than I did recently, in my late 40s. Remember these times. 3/
- Replying to @aaronsmithEric's heat started with 2 other competitors; one from Niger and the other from Tajikistan. Eric's competitors however both broke, and were disqualified, leaving him to swim this event alone. Eric hadn't completed a full length of a 50m pool before, but he dived in anyway. /2
- “It’s a vote against treating the public with contempt.” Laura Tingle
