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Kowalski shoulders on after missing Games team

By Michael Cowley, The Age, 25 March 2002

For a fleeting moment, Daniel Kowalski thought all the pain, all the frustration and all the tears had been worth it.

Since having double shoulder surgery, he had just swum his first major 1500 metres in 18 months at the Australian titles in Brisbane, finished third behind Grant Hackett, and knew he was on the cusp when it came to Commonwealth Games selection.

He also knew his alphabet, and where his name would be read out - immediately following that of Geoff Huegill - if he had been successful.

The time arrived: "From the Redcliffe club, Geoff Huegill," came the announcement. "From Miami . . ." There it was, the moment he thought he had been successful. Miami was his club. But then came the next sentence: "Leigh McBean." His teammate had made it, but Kowalski had missed out.

Several minutes later and his name was called out, to join the team to swim at the Pan Pacific titles in Japan in August. It appeared a consolation, but for someone who had been through so much and who had one firm aim, the Manchester Games, at that moment it was little consolation.

That he missed the Games was disappointing, that he even swam in Brisbane was remarkable. Just a month before the trials, his left shoulder "collapsed" and it was feared that he had swum his last race. "I really didn't know if I would be swimming this meet, and if anything it looked like this would be my final swim," he said.

"Then I spoke to the surgeon last Thursday week, and after that I was a lot more positive.

"But I was a bubble boy and I didn't quite burst through. There's no excuses. I stood up and raced and did the best I could. I left no stone unturned and I'm proud that I hung in there and gave it a shot. I could have sat back and said no it's too hard. But I couldn't generate any power from that left arm.

"It's disappointing but that's the selection criteria and, let's face it, if I'm not good enough to make it, then that's it. I've known for a while that I had to be ready to swim on this day, and I didn't quite do it.

"Give me a couple of weeks and I'll be right, but at the moment it's very disappointing. In terms of the competition the Pan Pacs are a lot better, but, let's face it, it's the Commonwealth Games and I'm going to miss not being there, the camaraderie, meeting all the other athletes from other sports in the village. This hurts because I wanted it so badly.

"I'll probably go home and cry because for the last 18 months this is what I wanted and after the World Cup in December, I thought I was going to do it. In January I thought I would break 15 minutes, then to sit here now, having not made it . . . it's hard.

Australia will be represented by a team of 41 in Manchester, 21 women and 20 men. The 50-metre form stroke swimmers are dropped from the squad for the Pan Pacs, with that team size being 44 - 21 men, 23 women.

Kowalski is joined in the Japan team by Trent Steed, Felicity Galvez, Cassie Hunt, Heidi Crawford, and Melissa Morgan.

Article originally located at The Age