Grainne Murphy has withdrawn from the 800 metres freestyle on Thursday morning, bringing her Olympics to an end. The Wexford teenager has been suffering from glandular fever but chose to swim in the 400m freestyle on Sunday morning.
Clearly still some way off her best, Murphy finished last in her heat and her time of 4.19.07 was a full ten seconds outside her qualifying time. She immediately withdrew from yesterday’s 200m freestyle but had hoped to compete in her favoured event on Thursday. She said,
“After swimming the 400m, and sitting down and speaking to everybody, I think this is the best decision for me right now,”
“I prepared everything I could coming up to the Games. I did my recovery, I worked very well with Ronald (Claes) and the support teams. We did everything we possibly could to get here, and I came here to compete to the best of my ability. Right now my ability isn’t up to where I want it to be. After swimming the 400m on Sunday I realised that right now I need to recover and get better.”
http://www.rte.ie/sport/player/734/331392/