In 1996, just three months after joining The Sunday Times, I found myself at the Atlanta Olympics, reporting on the extraordinary success of the Irish swimmer Michelle Smith de Bruin, who won three gold medals. That summer, swimming became Ireland’s national sport and, overnight it seemed, Smith de Bruin had become the nation’s greatest athlete yet.
On the pool deck at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Centre, American, Canadian and, yes, some British members of the swimming community spoke of their reservations about Smith de Bruin’s rise. Her transformation from rank-and-file national swimmer to global star had been extraordinary. There was also the presence of her then coach and husband, Erik de Bruin, a Dutch shot putter and discus thrower serving a four-year doping ban.
Smith
