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articles AUSTRALIA added another third-place medal in swimming to the boring cry of "bronze, bronze, bronze" when Daniel Kowalski blundered tactically to lose to New Zealand's Danyon Loader and Great Britain's Paul Palmer in the 400m freestyle. Kowalski was perfectly positioned to surge ahead from his second placing at the halfway mark but inexplicably let three swimmers pass him. Only his trademark finish allowed him to collect a bronze medal. He said rhetorically to his coach Bill Nelson after the race: "When am I ever going to learn?" Nelson explained the pre-race tactic was to increase the pace at the 200m mark. Kowalski said: "Something happens to me, especially in the mind. I can't describe it. "I wanted to go all out at the 200 mark but didn't. "I know I am better than that. I can't explain it." Nelson said: "He never took advantage of his position. It cost him a silver medal and probably a gold. "When he got to the 200, he should have taken off. The other swimmers had played into his hands by letting him take the initiative and he should have capitalised on it. "In the end, he did what he does best and speeded up in the final lap." Nelson said he had no idea why Kowalski sits back. "Perhaps it is his desire to back-end it too much. He should be tail-ending it earlier. "Perhaps he has finally learnt. When I said: "Isn't this good?' as he walked to the podium to collect his medal, he said: "Yes, but I want to get a little higher up the steps'." Kowalski's time of 3min 49.39s was 0.13s of a second outside his personal best. Asked to summarise his campaign, he said: "I think the 400m didn't indicate what I was capable of. The 200m showed I had speed. "I'm looking forward to putting it all together in the 1,500m. To this day I haven't done the best I can do." An interested observer was world record holder Kieren Perkins, who failed to qualify for the event because of his third place at the national selection trials. Perkins, who clearly studied the race tactically, said of Loader, who also won the 200m freestyle: "At the 200m mark of a race, Loader can beat any swimmer in the world if he only has to catch half a body length or less." Asked if he included himself in that category, he said: "Yes . . . but I would have made sure I was more than a body length in front." Loader obviously had expected Kowalski to surge. "Halfway through the race it sort of dawned on me, "I could win the gold. I'm leading the way'," he said. Englishman Palmer said his silver medal meant he wouldn't have to find a job and may be able to leave home. "I won't sleep for a week after this," he said.
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