Brenton's Story
After the disappointment of missing selection for Athens 2004, Brenton Rickard staked his claim for inclusion in the highest echelon of Australia’s male breaststrokers with some sterling performances at Beijing 2008. His two silver medals were an excellent progression from his medal-winning performances at the Melbourne 2007 world swimming championships, where he was a finalist in the three individual breaststroke events. In the 200 metres breaststroke at Beijing, he finished second to the great Kosuke Kitajima of Japan, who won the 100-200 metres breaststroke double at Athens and Beijing. Rickard combined with Hayden Stoeckel, Andrew Lauterstein and Eamon Sullivan to claim the silver medal behind the Michael Phelps-led Americans in the medley relay. He also finished fifth in the 100 metres breaststroke, after becoming the first Australian to crack through the 60-second barrier for the event in the heats. His individual medal was the first by a male breaststroker since Phil Rogers’s bronze in the 100 metres at Barcelona 1992. Glen Berringen was the previous Australian medallist, with a silver, in the men’s 200 metres breaststroke, at Los Angeles 1984.
