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Monash embraces Olympic spirit20 August 2008
It may be the middle of the academic year, but that's not stopping Monash University embracing the Olympic spirit. Large screens projecting the telecast of the games have popped up at all of the University's campuses in Australia, Malyasia and South Africa as part of an initiative to build community spirit and provide students and staff with access to international events and information. At the Clayton campus, up to 400 students crowded around a large screen in the student centre to cheer on Australia's success in the pool. The broadcast should continue to prove popular as the games continue. Monash University has 13 athletes competing in Beijing. Our winners so far are former Monash student Patrick Murphy, who won bronze in the 4x200m freestyle, and science graduate Brenton Rickard (BSc 2006), who won silver in the 200m breaststroke final. Rickard became the first Australian man to win an Olympic breaststroke medal in 16 years. He clocked 2:08.88 to finish second, improving on the bronze medal won by Phil Rogers in the 100m in Barcelona in 1992. It has been a fairytale Olympic debut for Rickard, the silver medal topping his fifth placing in the 100m breaststroke earlier in the week. The former Monash University Swim Club member went into the 2004 Australian Olympic trials as the national record holder and favourite in the 100m breaststroke but ended up finishing fourth in Athens. Rickard said he tried to keep his cool before stepping out onto the pool deck for the final. "You try to save as much emotional energy before your race as you can because you're going to need it at the end," he told Channel 7. "I did that and came out and did a PB when it mattered most." Rickard said he was "wrecked but stoked" to have snatched second place. "(My) heart was in the mouth a bit, but to see second next to my name is just fantastic, I'm just so happy." For a tally of Monash University's medal success go to Monash Sport's Olympic Update web page. |