It’s not often a photographer has more tears in their eyes than the subject they’re capturing.
But that was the case as Linnea Lindberg briefly put down the camera to embrace partner Sam Williamson after the Aussie breaststroke star’s gold-medal swim.
Williamson completed a remarkable rise across the past 14 months to snare victory in the 100m breaststroke at the Commonwealth Games.
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Having ruptured his patella tendon during a gym exercise, he needed to learn how to walk again amid extensive rehabilitation before crowning his comeback with victory on Saturday night in Glasgow (Sunday AEST).
And as soon as he was out of the pool, Williamson approached the gallery of poolside photographers and found Lindberg, the pair celebrating the stunning triumph with a kiss.
The couple met at the Paris Olympics two years ago, with the Swedish photographer supporting Williamson every step of the way in his rise from the rehab room to the top of the medal dais.
Swedish photographer Linnea Lindberg and Sam Williamson embrace after the Aussie swimmer’s gold medal. Credit: Getty Lindberg is working for the Australian team at the Commonwealth Games.
“It is a fairytale and it’s something the two of us are going to remember forever,” Williamson said afterwards.
“I reckon she’s got more tears in her eyes than I do at the moment.
“If we get one good photo from tonight, it’s all worth it.
“Just having her on pool deck… having mum, dad, my sister in the stands, everyone back home watching. This is for all of us. I love you all.”
The pair marked the win on Instagram by sharing Lindberg’s capture of Williamson and his gold medal from the poolside photo opportunity.
Williamson was a picture of emotion after beating world record holder Adam Ramsay-Peaty, who was consigned to bronze.
“Mentally it was the toughest challenge I’ve ever had to face,” said the 28-year-old Victorian, who forged through with a powerful second length to win in 59.17 seconds.
“Every single day I wanted to throw in the towel but I knew how far I’d come to get to that point.”
Ramsay-Peaty broke down in tears after being outgunned by two rivals, with Jersey’s 18-year-old star Filip Nowacki nabbing silver.
The Commonwealth Games has not been kind to Ramsay-Peaty, who finished out of the medals at Birmingham 2022.
Since the 2022 Games, Ramsay-Peaty has taken time out to protect his mental health and also endured a high-profile family schism following his marriage to Holly Ramsay, daughter of the celebrity chef Gordon, in December.
Ramsay-Peaty reached into the crowd to kiss his pregnant wife’s belly shortly after the end of his race.
“It’s hard because I know how hard I work,” he told reporters.
“I know the shit I’ve been through, which is no fault of my own, but it does take its toll.
“I’m not crying because it’s bronze instead of gold. I’m crying because I know I am better than that.
“I feel like I couldn’t have put any more in and that’s where it hurts, because I’m like ‘what’s the point of all the metres every day, what’s the point of being exhausted all the time’?
“’What’s the point of having to say no to family events because you can’t go to training’?
“It has to mean something and for me it has to be human excellence and that is not excellence for me. So that’s the emotion that is unfortunately coming out.”
Ramsay-Peaty, the world record holder, was beaten in the 100m breaststroke final in Glasgow. Credit: AAP The result was all the more surprising given the way in which Ramsay-Peaty had surged through his heats on Friday.
Ramsay-Peaty was in third place at the halfway stage and could not make up the deficit, his time of 59.65 seconds well behind Williamson’s 59.17.
“(Holly is) always going to be proud of me and I think as a father, it doesn’t matter if you come home with a gold, as long as you come home with a teddy,” smiled Ramsay-Peaty, holding his podium memento.
“The emotion is something I’m always going to carry.
“I’m never going to be afraid to show weakness because it’s so important in making stronger people, making stronger men, stronger fathers, stronger husbands, and it’s a realisation of how hard I work.”
— with AAP