Long before Poort broke away with three kilometres remaining to secure Australia’s Olympics 10km open water position, dad Gary and mum Sheryl had already dived in and booked their tickets to Rio.

On Monday morning (AEST), Poort outlasted Australian teammate turned rival Simon Huitenga in Portugal, to qualify for Rio, four years after competing in the 1500m freestyle heats in London. “About a month ago my dad pulled me aside and said ‘son there’s something you should know’,” Poort said.

“Your mother and I have already booked our flights to Rio. Mum wasn’t happy that he told me, saying I didn’t need the extra pressure.

“But there was no pressure really. I just saw it as an extra incentive to make the team.”

A shy teenager on an Australian swimming team full of egos in London, Poort qualified for the 1500m with a B-qualifier, where he bowed out in the heats.

Four years later and Poort was determined to make a statement. In a slow-paced race, Poort took off with three kilometres left, letting his rivals know he not only intended to make the Olympics, but be a medal hope in Brazil as well.

“I’d had a pretty cruisy first half of the race and thought it was time to take off,” Poort said. “If I was going to have a chance of winning the race then I had to take the lead.

“They say you shouldn’t lead, but I was confident in the decision and I thought I had to do it. I felt strong and I knew I had to put myself in the race and back myself.

“I had done a lot of training sessions that were harder than the race so I knew I could handle it.”

Poort admitted it was a difficult situation, given he was in a match race with training partner Huitenga, needing to finish ahead of him and in the first nine to finish.

“Over the last 300m I just got swamped and I could see Simon and I knew it was going to be close,” Poort said. 

“It sucks really, a real bitter sweet feeling for me to make the team and for Simon to miss out. I really feel for him.”

Poort finished seventh, less than seven seconds behind winner Lijun Zu, from China and just three seconds ahead of Huitenga in ninth.

Australian open water head coach Ron McKeon, Poort’s junior coach, praised the Wollongong talent’s bold approach.

 “He took every opportunity to win it; he swam the race and not just the race within the race,” McKeon said. 

“Simon gave it everything he had to get that close and he didn’t quite get there, but he was taking some water out of the field in the end.”