By Jolene Ogle
NOOSA’S Jake Packard has returned from Rio with a bronze medal and a host of great memories after his first Olympic games.
The 22-year-old breaststroker competed in the 4x100m medley relay alongside Mitch Larkin, David Morgan and Kyle Chalmers, who took out the medal at the games.
Jake said the opportunity to race against the best in the first week of the games was the most exciting thing to happen to him.
“But, of course the number one highlight was to race with the Aussie team in the 4×100 medley relay and we were lucky enough to come away with a bronze medal,” he said.
Other highlights of the Olympics included watching sprinter Usain Bolt create history.
“A group of us organised to watch the athletics the night of his 100m final. We saw him race and what a phenomenon it was. Never heard a crowd so loud in my life. It was a great opportunity to watch different sports and history be made,” he said.
Jake said media reports of an unfinished athlete village, robberies and curfews didn’t impact his experience, saying there was plenty of time to hit the town when he returned home.
“The whole experience was amazing. Rio put a lot of effort in the closing weeks to make sure everything was in running condition and we are glad that it was,” he said.
“To have such an amazing experience for my first Olympics is something special and it is only going to make me hungrier for Tokyo in four years’ time.
“In regard to the nightlife, we are luckily enough to have such a great team and spent certain nights out as we all wanted to watch other sports instead of partying and living it up. We can always do that back at home.”
And taking some time out to relax is exactly what Jake plans to do.
“At this point, a long break is needed which is lovely. I’m slowly gathering my thoughts and processes and moving all those challenges we had before Rio and implementing them for future training regimes that we have in mind,” he said.
“My coach and I are focusing on Tokyo, which I can’t wait for – but it’s going to be a long four years and hopefully everything goes to plan.”
