By Tania Phillips
A large contingent of swimmers and community members turned out at the International Club in Stanthorpe on Friday night to cheer on local swimmer Ben Armbruster at the Paris Olympics – and he didn’t disappoint.
The crowd, which included club mates and long-time former coach Gail Smail, went wild when the 22-year-old, who has just a handful of international swims under his belt, finished 11th in the heats of the 100m butterfly. His parents Shannon and Scott were in the stadium to watch and Shannon Armbruster face-timed the watch party as soon as the race finished to share in the excitement of the result.
The swim saw him qualify for the semi-finals which were held at 4am Australian time where he missed the final by a fraction of second, finishing ninth in a time of (51.17).
“Didn’t he do well?” his former long-time coach Smail said after sitting up to watch her former charge in action.
“For his first Olympics, his first real international – he went to the World Aquatics but that was just a taste of it. To be in the Olympic team, in the Australian team and getting into two semi finals at his first Olympics and finishing ninth in the butterfly, just missing out is amazing. He’s devastated, but he shouldn’t be devastated in that because he did a PB to get to where he got to – he’s just swum outside himself. I have spoken to him and I’ve spoken to his mum. Ben doesn’t do a lot with his phone in big competitions. I did talk to him a couple of days out from the Olympics too – I just wished him the best, I don’t give him coaching advice anymore -just told him to do what you do, do what you know and do what your coach tells you to do.”
Smail was pleased that he was given a heat swim in the 4x100m medley relay, though she had been concerned before the relay team was announced that as its not an event Australia traditionally do well in they might opt to put their A team in the heat.
“But they could also opt to rest Australia’s number one 100m butterfly swimmer Matt Templeton particularly given Ben is only 0.09 behind him,” she said.
“It was another great swim,” she said after the relay adding would be good experience on the big stage.
“It was 51.61 – not as fast as his semi but very consistent swimming.”
She said most of the successful swimmers at the games this time around were seasoned international performers.
“There was a 17- year- old American boy in the 100 fly – he was the only other one in the semi, the majority of them have been on the circuit for four to eight years,” Smail said.
“That’s a big head start. What he’s achieved for his first Olympics is quite amazing. If you have a look at Cam McEvoy he was 29th in his first Olympics in the 100m free.”
She said Ben was doing similar times to what McEvoy, who is at his third Olympics, did at Tokyo.
“There’s hope if he keeps going. I’m pretty sure if he keeps going on this path he is going to find himself right up the top of the podium,” Smail said.
Earlier in the week Armbruster had a scintillating start to his Olympic career making it through to the 50m semifinal as well.
Swimming from lane eight in the ninth heat, Armbruster came home fast in the last half of the race to finish second behind Britain’s Benjamin Proud who won the race 21.70. Armbruster’s time of 21.86 was just outside of his personal best set at the Australia Olympic trials in Brisbane.
The time was enough to see the 22-year-old Bond University student qualify in equal 8th for the semi finals with fellow Australian Cam McEvoy, swimming in the 10th and final heat, the fastest qualifier for the semis in 21.32.
More on the watch party and Armbruster’s Olympic journey in this week’s paper as well as more of proud Stanthorpe local, Samantha Wantling’s Watch Party pictures.
