AIMEE WILLMOTT’S hopes of crowning her career with an Olympic medal were shattered as she failed to deliver at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre.
The 28-year-old from Middlesbrough had been the second fastest qualifier for the 400m individual medley final.
But the exertions of Sunday night’s sessions too a heavy toll as Willmott faded to finish seventh behind home heroine Yui Ohashi, who became Japan’s second gold medal winner of the Games.
Willmott’s final time of 4:38.30 was three seconds slower than her qualification swim.
Americans Emma Weyant and Hali Flickinger took silver and bronze.
She said: “I shocked myself in the heat but it was always going to be tough toi back that up and I didn’t have the time.
“It seems to be seventh is where I’m at, after doing the same in Rio. But I’m happy with my career.”
Her disappointment came after Max Litchfield just missed out on an unlikely medal in a humdinger of a 400m individual medley.
Yorkshire’s Litchfield, whose younger brother Joe is also on Team GB, waa the slowest qualifier and only seventh after the butterfly leg.
But as American Chase Kalisz went away from the field on the breaststroke leg to claim gold ahead of compatriot Jay Livingston, Litchfield made his move.
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An excellent freestyle effort saw the 26-year-old close the gap but fall just short of bronze medallist Brendon Smith of Australia.
Litchfield finished joint fourth in 4:10.59, just two tenths of a second behind Smith.
Kalisz won in 4:09.42, more than five seconds outside Michael Phelps’ 2008 Olympic and world record.
There was a major shock in the men’s 400m as Tunisia’s Ahmed Hafnoui, the slowest qualifier, shocked the field with a stunning second half of the race.
The 18-year-old was still second behind Aussie Jack McLoughlin with 50m to go but finished like a train to take gold in 3:43.36, with Kieran Smith of the USA third.
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Source: Athletics - thesun.co.uk
