Tamsyn Lewis
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 - Virgil |
| Golden triumph shocksTamsyn, Herald Sun, 11/3/2008 |
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Glenn Mitchell Herald Sun, Tuesday, March11, 2008  NO one was more surprised than Tamsyn Lewis herself when she won her first major title on the world stage yesterday. Once dubbed a‘‘C-grade celebrity who runs’’, Lewis out lasted a red-hot field to claim the 800m gold medal on the final day of the world indoor championships in Spain. ‘‘I am in complete shock,’’ an exhausted Lewis said. But parents Carolyn and Greg, who were lisening on the internet at their home in Kewat 3am, were anything but surprised. And they say she is now a big chance at the Beijing Olympics. ‘‘Now she knows she can beat these girls on the big stage,’’ Mrs Lewis said yesterday. ‘‘The only problem was we missed the race by five minutes and when the results went up we didn’t quite believe it. ‘‘We thought it might be some sort of glitch. But when we realised it was the right result we were ecstatic.’’ Mr Lewis said his daughter was on the verge of quitting athletics after the Athens Olympics. ‘‘The only person who didn’t believe she could win on the world stage was Tamsyn herself, ’’ Mr Lewis said. Mrs Lewis said her daughter almost reached breaking point after out-spoken coach Nic Bideau described her as a‘ ‘C-gradecelebrity’’. ‘‘She said to me ‘Mum, I’m not sure this is all worth it anymore’. It was a very cutting remark to make about an athlete, especially one who works as hard as Tamsyn.’’ Lewis, 29, yesterday collected $43,000 for beating one of the all-time greats of 800m running, Maria Mutola, of Mozambique. |
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