Poor vision has not stopped Mack Horton setting his sights on Australian swimming's greats ahead of the Rio Olympics.
The short sighted swimmer who needs thick prescription goggles to compete has a bold vision - to be the nation's greatest 400m and 1,500m swimmer.
That will involve striking off some the sport's most revered names - Grant Hackett, Ian Thorpe and Kieren Perkins - from the record books.
At just 19 Horton is well on his way thanks to an impressive Rio trials display.
Horton claimed the 1,500m gold on Thursday night, shaving five seconds off his PB to clock 14 minutes, 39.54 seconds and leapfrog the great Kieren Perkins to stand second on the Australian all-time list.
Horton now only trails Grant Hackett (14:34.56).
His time would have won 2015 world titles gold and London Olympic silver.
Horton had already made Rio rivals sit up and take notice with a world class 400m freestyle win on the opening night of the eight-day trials.
He produced a 3:41.65 PB to claim 400m freestyle gold.
He overtook Hackett to move to No.2 on the Australian all-time list to trail only the great Ian Thorpe.
The 400m win earned selection on his first Olympic team.
Now Horton has turned heads again with a fitting finale to the Olympic selection meet on Thursday night with his scorching 1,500m time.
"It was faster than I thought it would be," Horton said.
"Come Rio I want to get it right."
As a teenager Horton is already rubbing shoulders in the record books with some of the sport's greats.
Not that Horton had to be reminded.
Since he was a kid he would study through his thick rimmed glasses a list of the top 1,500m times he had placed on his bedroom wall, dreaming of the day he could slot his time amongst them.
After a remarkable recovery from a gastro bug that sabotaged his 2015 world titles campaign, Horton now wants to put his name on top - in both the 1,500m and 400m.
"It would be nice to be the fastest Australian in the 400m and 1,500m," Horton said.
Horton's eyesight is so bad that without his glasses or goggles he could "barely see my hand in front of my face".
So it was understandable Horton did not want to look too far ahead, baulking at making Rio 1,500m predictions.
"I'm aware of the significance of the event but I don't want to put that pressure on myself," Horton said.
"Australia has a ridiculously good history in the 1,500m but I am just trying to do my own thing and be the best I can be."
Australia owned the 1500m Olympic from 1992-2004 thanks to Perkins and Hackett.
AUSTRALIA'S GREATEST 1,500M SWIMS:
Grant Hackett 14:34.56 Fukuoka 2001
Mack Horton 14:39.54 Adelaide 2016
Kieren Perkins 14:41.66 Victoria 1994
Jordan Harrison 14:51.02 Adelaide 2013
Craig Stevens 14:53.18 Sydney 2008
Share
