1.6K views Jun 2009
Australian commentators hilariously call Eric Moussambani's slow 100-meter freestyle heat at the Sydney Olympics, cheering him on as he sets an Equatorial Guinea record.
0:02 Yes, welcome to Sydney Aquatic Centre, where we've got, uh, heat, heat one of the 100 meters freestyle. 0:07 Three, three tremendous competitors we've got from Equatorial Guinea in lane three, Eric Musambani, in lane four from Nigeria, Kiran Baray, and finally in lane, lane five from Tajikistan, 0:19 Farouk Orypov. Uh, as we see now, the competitors are taking their blocks. 0:23 Could be a very, very competitive heat. I like the look of Musambani. 0:27 I saw him in training midweek, and gee, you can really put it. 0:30 There's only 3 in this, uh, heat 1. Heat 1. Other lanes have been, uh, sadly decimated, uh, by scratching. 0:37 Hello. 0:38 Oh. I didn't, did you hear the get set there, Roy? I don't think I heard anything. 0:42 Yes, I... I thought I did. I thought I did. I- I- I agreed with, uh, because these blokes are out as far as we know. 0:48 That's Barri and Oripov. 0:50 And Oripov. I think they're gone. 0:52 They could be gone. We might have a sensation here at the Aquatic Centre because heat one of the 100 meters freestyle has suddenly been reduced to a swimmer of one. 0:59 One we think. 1:00 This is- 1:01 They they don't know it yet, actually. I mean, they've spent they've spent money on this new speedo equipment, uh, 1:06 Yes. 1:06 and they're not cheap, those suits. 1:08 They're not, and they now, unfortunately, Musambani thinks he's been out of it, but now as the officials gather, this is officialdom gone berserk here at the Sydney Aquatic Centre. 1:16 Oh, give them a go. 1:16 We have, we, yes, why not? Why not give the kids from Tajikistan and Nigeria a go? 1:21 And now we have the fast of Musambani trying to qualify from Equatorial Guinea in heat 1 of the 100 meters free. 1:26 Roy, take us through it. 1:27 Okay, off he goes. Let's see what his style's like. 1:31 He's looking very, very good. He's, from my knowledge, he's going out 1:34 A bit too hard. 1:35 hard early. He might struggle a little bit in the last 25. I don't know. 1:39 He's, he's thrashing about there like, like, uh... 1:43 An egg beater. Well, listen, the heat one has been robbed a lot of its glamour and interest with the scratches 1:47 It is. 1:47 of Barry and Oripov. Roy? 1:50 But I tell you what I like about the bloke, she likes to put his head up and have a look where the end of the lane is, where the end of the, where the block is at the other end, because you don't want to bang your head or anything like that. 1:59 Equatorial Guinea has no swimming pools, and so it's probably wise to look for the end of the lane here, and you'll notice the camera at the bottom. 2:04 Look at his double turn. 2:05 Let's have a look at this. Yes. 2:07 A little bit slow, but he's got the, the right idea. 2:09 He's got the mechanics of it down, Roy, and this is the Olympic spirit writ large here at the Sydney Aquatic Centre this morning in heat one of the 100 meters free, as we see a one competitor race, 2:18 sole competitor from Equatorial Guinea, Eric Musambani. Roy, bring it home. 2:22 Bring the boy home, Roy. 2:24 It's only the, uh, the clock he's beating now, HG. 2:26 Let's see if he can get a record. 2:27 Let's see if he can get a record. Now, we know the world record's about 48 seconds, do we? 2:32 Something like that? 2:32 Correct. 2:33 He's up to 1:07. He d- we thought he'd struggle in that la- in the last half of the second lap, HG, and he is. 2:40 He is struggling a little bit. 2:41 Come on, Eric. 2:41 He's got a chance to get the Equatorial Guinea record, though, and I think he's right on target for the Equatorial Guinea record. 2:46 What is the Equatorial Guinea record, HG? 2:47 History in the making. I think it's 2:48 151? 2:49 153, I think, Roy. 2:50 153. 2:50 153, 80, which Eric holds. Here's a very big chance. He's got a very big chance to go under the Equatorial Guinea record. 2:56 Come on, Eric. 2:57 Heat 1 of the 100 meters free here at the City 2:59 Come on, Eric, put in. 3:00 A lot of support here today. Go, Eric. 3:02 Go, Eric. Eric, bring it in. 3:04 Come on, Eric. 3:04 Come on, Eric, you can get there. 2 left, man. You've only got a little bit left. 3:08 There's the end of the pool. 3:09 Come on, Eric. 3:10 There's the line. Look at the world records down to the 3:13 Forget that, that's meaningless now. Come on, Eric. You get show. 3:16 Can he do it? Come on. 3:18 He's done. He's done an Equatorial Guinea record smacked here at the Sydney Equate Centre by the great, great Eric Musambani. 3:26 Forget Thor, forget Clem, focus on Eric. 3:34 Eric Musambani there from Equatorial Guinea, breaking, breaking the Equatorial Guinea record for the 100 metres freestyle. 3:41 And believe you me, Roy, you will remember that 3:44 Yeah. 3:44 long after you've forgotten everything else about the Sydney Olympics. 3:47 You're absolutely. 3:48 That was a genuine highlight. I can look at it all again right now. 3:51 I know. 3:52 But the thing is, how many young kids now in Equatorial Guinea 3:56 Will be doing it. 3:57 Will be thinking 100 meters, I might get into that. 4:00 That's right. They appear to give every anybody who turns up a go. 
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