Clark Riviera Shoe

Mistakes, I've made a few

It struck away from the spotlight and out of the pool, six weeks before the Games, while Rice’s coach Michael Bohl and his Brisbane-based squad were on a training camp at Saint-Raphael, mid-way between St Tropez and Cannes on the French Riviera. This is where F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote Tender is the Night, but there was no lounging on yachts or strolling the promenade with the beautiful people on this trip.

Rice had set world records in the 200m and 400m individual medley at the Olympic trials three months earlier to establish herself as a clear contender for Olympic gold, and Bohl had taken her to France to break her and then rebuild her.

Rice and her training partners were already being subjected to punishing 7km training routines twice a day in the picturesque seaside village, wedged between the Mediterranean and the towering Esterel Massif, when Bohl decided to ramp up the torture test. After a particularly gruelling morning session in the pool, Bohl instructed Rice and fellow Olympian Meagen Nay to grab their running shoes. Earlier, Bohl had identified a stairway to hell, a set of steps leading up to the highest peak above the town. He told Rice and Nay they were going to run to the top and back.

“So we ran up and down once, and Stephanie, without a word, turned around and did it again,” Bohl recalls. “I only planned to do it once, but we followed her. And then she did it a third time, and then a fourth time, and when she started up a fifth time, I had to say ‘Steph, it’s enough.’ The next day she could hardly walk, but I knew she would do whatever it took to win in Beijing.’’

Rice remembers it slightly differently. She says it was her superstition of the number three that turned her around to keep going. Whatever the motivation, she went on to become Australia’s most successful Olympian in Beijing, winning three golds, and the memory has become a touchstone between Rice and Bohl, an instant reminder of what is required to be the best. “He uses that reference a lot with me, to remind me to be willing to do the extra things, to be the one who wants to do it rather than being told to do it,’’ Rice says. “He always says to me, ‘Remember that day at the mountain.’”

She will need to call on that fierce competitiveness again as she faces her hardest test since Beijing at the World Swimming Championships in Shanghai next week – it will be Rice’s first major race since an inflamed bursa in her right shoulder (the joint that takes the most wear and tear in elite swimmers) forced a tearful withdrawal from the Pan Pacific titles and the Commonwealth Games last year.

ASICS Women's GEL-Kayano 16 Running Shoe,White/Riviera Blue/Storm ...

Running shoe built for the moderate to excessive over-pronator who requires a combination of cushioning and reinforced stability. The GEL-Kayano® 16 from ASICS® honors the series’ tradition of employing cutting-edge technology and high-end components while still maintaining the classic ride and fit that made the shoe an icon to begin with. Biomorphic Fit™ Upper creates a superior fit, increased comfort, and decreases the potential for irritation. Asymmetrical Lacing System conforms to the bony structure of the foot for an enhanced fit and reduced irritation. 3M® reflective material enhances visibility during low light hours. P.H.F.® (Personal Heel Fit) comprises a memory foam lined heel collar that molds to the athlete’s heel, creating a personalized fit. ComforDry™ insole delivers the optimum cushioning performance system that creates a cooler, drier and healthier shoe environment. Soft Top DuoMax® system delivers a increased level of comfort and enhanced gait efficiency. DuoMax® midsole technology takes the form of a multi-density midsole material designed to help correct the degree and velocity of pronation. Impact Guidance System (I.G.S.®) allows the shoe and foot to transition together through the contact, midstance and propulsion components. This linked system enhances the foot’s natural gait from heel strike to toe-off. ASICS® Forefoot and Rearfoot GEL® Cushioning System is strategically placed at high impact areas in the forefoot and rearfoot for shock absorption. Gender Specific Forefoot Cushioning is a top layer of injected Solyte® that delivers a cushioned platform feel in the forefoot. Features a lower density for improved cushioning and forefoot comfort. Solyte® offers a proprietary cushioning material that provides an exceptionally lightweight midsole with excellent bounce-back and durability. Gender Specific Space Trusstic System® creates a pocket between the Trusstic System® device and the midsole, allowing for greater midsole deformation and more efficient foot function. Trusstic System® is a molded component that links the rearfoot and forefoot and shores the midfoot. Gender specificity recognizes the normal periodic changes in the shape of a female arch and allows for the controlled deformation of the arch into the space within the system. AHAR® Heel Plug (ASICS® High Abrasion Resistant rubber) has been added to critical areas of the outsole for increased durability.

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