Sophie Pascoe knows she is a marked woman going into the Tokyo Olympics.
Sophie Pascoe, ready to rumble Photo: Photosport NZ
Pascoe made it double gold at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games last night, adding victory in the SB9 100m breaststroke to the SM10 200m individual medley title she won over the weekend.
She was "bloody stoked" to defend both her titles from the 2014 Glasgow Games but only just edged out 17-year-old Australian Paige Leonhardt in the final few metres of last night's race.
"I could hear the crowd in that last 20 metres knowing that I've got some Aussie on my back, so it was just about head down and really push through that pain and that last 20 metres."
Pascoe, 25, was also disappointed not to beat the personal best she set during the heats, saying there was plenty to work on before next year's world championships and the 2020 Olympics.
"I looked at my race afterwards and I went out a bit too fast and that goes to show you I was just probably a little bit too excited - but hey, this is what we need to work on for these next two years now."
Leonhardt's performance showed there were "big things to watch", Pascoe said.
"We've got young blood coming through now and that's exciting.
"But when you are the top of the top you are the hunted, and that's harder ... you've got to be able to try and retain that."
Even with 13 Commonwealth and Olympic golds to her name, she was still "always" nervous about the competition, she said.
"But nerves are good - I've channeled those nerves to be a positive flow and give me the good outcome that I need, and I'm really excited about Tokyo.
"This is a good confidence boost leading into that and going to World Champs next year."
It meant "everything" to her to win gold in front of her parents, who had travelled to the Gold Coast to watch her race.
"That's really humbling for me to know that I can make them proud by what I do and what I love."
