As he reflects on a torturous day, the Australia skipper may choose to look back to January this year at Sydney, when he decided to bat first, his team were all out for 127 but went on the win that match.
Back in 1998, when he sailed his yacht, the Sayonara, in the Sydney to Hobart race, he and his crew endured 630 miles through rough seas and hurricane-force winds off Australia.
He then broke another Olympic barrier in 2000 in Sydneywhen he defended his 400m title - making him the first to win back-to-back events over the distance.