Lenton's double celebration

Swimming ironwoman Libby Lenton turned her night one disappointment into a double celebration on the third evening of competition, leading Australia’s medal splurge at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre tonight.

Her customary radiant smile was just that little bit wider as she accepted gold medals for the women’s 100m freestyle and 4x200m relay, in between finding time to qualify second-fastest for the 100m butterfly final to be held tomorrow.

“It’s amazing to race at home, the people absolutely love swimming, the sold out crowds, with everyone cheering you on, no one can describe what it’s like to perform in front of that,” Lenton said afterwards.

“And to have 18,000 screaming people singing the national anthem was very special for me, I was getting very emotional.”

She opened proceedings with a tight victory in the highly-anticipated 100m freestyle showdown with Jodie Henry, edging out her friendly rival by just 0.24 of a second as Australia completed a clean sweep of the medals, Alice Mills taking bronze.

Lenton assumed her customary position in front with a strong start off the blocks and as they hit the turn, she already had almost half-a-second over the chasing Henry and Mills. During the heats, Henry passed Lenton on the final lap, but there was to be no repeat tonight, the 21-year-old Queenslander maintaining her lead down the length of the pool to the delight of a sell-out crowd.

“It was a big relief, I was most nervous for the 100m (freestyle), it’s the scariest thing to come up against such amazing swimmers. Time and time again, Jodie has shown just how much of an amazing competitor she is. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy.” Lenton said.

Immediately after accepting her gold medal from swim legend Dawn Fraser, Lenton was back in the pool, winning her 100m butterfly semi-final and recording the second-fastest time for the final. Her teammate Jessicah Schipper set a new Games record as she led the qualifying for the event, with Mills also backing up to make the final.

Lenton returned to the blocks for the night’s second-to-last event, the 4x200m women’s relay, helping the host nation exact revenge after a surprising loss to the English in Manchester.

Leading off the team, Lenton visibly tired to trail England’s Joanne Jackson after her leg, but Bronte Barrett, Kelly Stubbins and Linda McKenzie more than made up England’s advantage, going on to smash the Games record and add Australia’s fifth and last gold medal of the night.

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