UQ student emerges from Tokyo heartbreak ready to claim 200m butterfly crown
By Nicole Jeffery
Bachelor of Arts (Journalism) '90
Three years after a young Lizzy Dekkers missed the Tokyo Olympic team in the cruellest circumstances, she will arrive at the Paris Games as a leading medal contender in the 200 metres butterfly.
Dekkers, then 17, went into the 2021 national trials with an Olympic qualifying time in her pet event and finished second. But the selection criteria also required her to meet the time standard on that night, and she missed it by the tiny margin of 0.14 seconds.
That might have been enough to sink a lesser character, but Dekkers used her disappointment to fuel her rise into the top rank of international 200-metre butterflyers between Games.
Lizzy Dekkers on her way to Commonwealth Games gold in Birmingham in 2022. Image: Elsa/Getty Images
Lizzy Dekkers on her way to Commonwealth Games gold in Birmingham in 2022. Image: Elsa/Getty Images
“It’s one of the toughest things I’ve been through,’’ the 20-year-old Bachelor of Advanced Science (Honours) student recalls.
“Knowing that I could have done better, and I should have done better, is the hardest thing. It’s driven me hugely to be able to perform when I need to.”
She cracked the Australian team for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and won the gold medal there, before moving from her childhood coach Steve Miller at the Newmarket Racers Swimmers Club to train with experienced international coach Vince Raleigh at the Chandler Swimming Club.
She leaped forward again last year to record the fastest 200 metres butterfly ever swum in an Australian pool (no mean feat in the land that spawned Susie O’Neill (Doctor of Philosophy (honoris causa) '00), Petria Thomas and Jess Schipper), swimming an All Comers record of 2 minutes 5.26 seconds at the national trials.
Susie O'Neill. Image: Clive Brunskill/ALLSPORT via Getty Images
Dekkers then went to the 2023 world championships in Fukuoka and delivered on that promise, winning the silver medal (2:05.46) behind Canadian wunderkind Summer McIntosh to put herself in the medal conversation for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
“More than anything, that gave me confidence that I can race when I need to – just put faith in myself,’’ she said.
But she had to overcome at least one mental hurdle to get to Paris – banishing the demons from the 2021 trials by earning her place on the team at last month’s Olympic trials.
She overcame that old disappointment by winning her event in her home pool in Brisbane, clocking 2:06.01 to confirm her place on the starting blocks for Paris. It wasn’t her fastest time, but it was a solid performance under the extreme pressure of sudden-death competition.
“That was so satisfying – just a huge relief,’’ she said.
She showed more of her true potential at the national championships in April, where she took down her All Comers record with a new personal best of 2:05.20, which puts her third fastest in the world this year, behind McIntosh (2:04.33) and American Regan Smith (2:04.80).
“I’m trying to focus on myself, but I am keeping an eye on what’s happening around the world all the time,’’ she said.
“Looking at the international competition, I know I need to get out faster in the first 100 metres, so that’s been a big focus. I think that’s coming from strength and skills… working on all those little things that I hadn’t really put much work into before.’’
Modest and softly spoken, she is reminiscent of her swimming idol – Australia’s original Madam Butterfly Susie O’Neill – in more than her choice of event.
Dekkers admits that she didn’t pick one of the most gruelling events in the pool, it picked her due to her affinity for the stroke and natural endurance. But she’s happy to be the heir to an event that has a wonderful tradition in Australia.
Her Olympic medal-winning predecessors Michelle Ford (1980), Karen Phillips (1984), O’Neill (1992, 1996 and 2000), Thomas (1996 and 2000) and Schipper (2008) have given the 200 metres butterfly special status in her home country.
“I love that Australia has such amazing 200-metre flyers – it definitely makes me want to go faster.’’ she said.
Susie O'Neill. Image: Clive Brunskill/ALLSPORT via Getty Images
Susie O'Neill. Image: Clive Brunskill/ALLSPORT via Getty Images
Petria Thomas. Image: Adam Pretty/Getty Images
Petria Thomas. Image: Adam Pretty/Getty Images
Jess Schipper. Image: Al Bello/Getty Images
Jess Schipper. Image: Al Bello/Getty Images
Lizzy Dekkers celebrates after winning gold in the women's 200 metres butterfly at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Image: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Lizzy Dekkers celebrates after winning gold in the women's 200 metres butterfly at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Image: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
But in a swimming team stuffed with champions, Dekkers revealed she “100 per cent” prefers to go under the radar.
“I love it that we have so many amazing swimmers that I don’t get much attention and it’s perfect. I just love doing my own thing and coming in to do the 200 ‘fly.’’
If she succeeds in Paris, the spotlight will find her despite her best efforts.
Dekkers is one of 2 UQ students in the Olympic swimming team. The 2023 UQ Sportswoman of the Year will be joined in Paris by UQ's 2022 Sportsman of Year, Thomas Neill, who finished second in the 200 metres freestyle at the Olympic trials to claim a place in the 200 metres freestyle and 4 x 200 metres freestyle relay.
The 22-year-old Neill, who is studying a Bachelor of Advanced Business (Honours), will be attending his second Olympic Games after anchoring the same relay to the bronze medal in Tokyo.
Three-metre twister
The honour of opening Australia’s medal tally on the first morning of the Paris 2024 Olympics rests on the impressive shoulders of UQ alum Maddison Keeney. She will be competing in the synchronised 3-metre springboard diving event on day one of the Games with her synchro sister Anabelle Smith, and the duo have strong medal-winning form.
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