Postmedia News
TOKYO - Canadian swimmer Brian Johns has celebrated on the World Cup circuit this week with a six pack. A six pack of medals that is.
The native of Richmond, B.C., won the silver medal Thursday at the fourth stop on swimming's World Cup tour, taking second place in the men's 200-metre freestyle event. With a bronze medal on Wednesday and four medals last weekend in Singapore, the three-time Olympian has six medals to his credit in less than a week since the end of the Commonwealth Games.
“I was happy with my swim tonight,” said Johns. “After the Commonwealth Games I wasn't sure I was going to compete at these World Cups. But it was good to come here and swim at my best.”
Johns was sixth in the morning preliminaries, but he came out strong in the final, clocking a time of one minute 44.13 seconds, which was just off the gold-medal time of Japan's Takeshi Matsuda (1:43.93). South Africa's Darian Townsend took bronze in 1:44.47.
The 28-year-old Johns was considered a medal contender earlier this month at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, but he failed to hit the podium.
But he came out with a bang last weekend in Singapore, with a silver in the 400-metre individual medley and a silver in the 200-metre freestyle event. He added bronze in the 200-metre butterfly and 200-metre individual medley.
On Wednesday in Tokyo, he was third in the 400-metre individual medley.
“It's a big confidence boost for me to win these medals on the World Cup,” said Johns. “I knew I had done the training to swim fast at the Games and to not have it come out there was difficult.
“These World Cup performances are something I can build on for next season.”
© Copyright (c) Postmedia News