Swimming: Kane Radford's Olympic hopes dashed

The Olympic dream maybe over for Rotorua swimmer Kane Radford but the possibility of a Commonwealth dream may have been created.

Radford's quest for an Olympic place was ended yesterday in Setubal, Portugal, when the 21-year-old finished 27th in an elite 10km race, 1m 44s behind eventual winner, Beijing 1500m freestyle champion Oussama Mellouli.

The Rotorua swimmer needed to finish in the top nine to qualify for the London Olympics and although Radford swam alongside Mellouli at the head of the field for four of the six laps, the Tunisian turned up the pace and surged away with speed Radford has not witnessed in open water swimming before.

Radford's mother Bronwen told The Daily Post yesterday her son was "gutted" with the result.

"He had a huge amount of support from the Rotorua community which had humbled him and he really wanted to do this for everyone at home but he was pretty gutted not to have qualified."

Bronwen said she was disappointed for her son but believed he still had plenty to offer swimming.

"It's the toughest sport out there [individually]. He has put an incredible amount of work into [this campaign].

"Life gives you a hand [of cards] for reasons we don't know why and we have to live with what is dealt to you. He really deserved to be there but it wasn't to be," she said.

"After he broke Danyon Loader's record in the 1500m he said he may consider competing in that event at the Commonwealth Games in two years' time. So that is still a possibility. If he wants to pursue that dream."

Radford broke Loader's long-standing 1500m freestyle national record in April at the New Zealand swimming championships in Takapuna, Auckland.

Radford has not ruled out having another crack in 2016. However, he would have to sit down with his coach Mark Regan to plan his future in the sport.

"I gave it everything and it wasn't my day. It is all pretty disappointing although looking at the age of those guys I still have plenty more years hopefully to come back and do what those guys did today in four years' time and being up there."