WORLD MEDALLIST LOOKS TO MEDICINE
Current World Championship silver medallist Ian Edmond is
leaving the sport of swimming to pursue another passion -
medicine.
The 26-year-old City of Edinburgh athlete has decided to
return to his studies as he works towards becoming a doctor.
"I sat down after the Olympics to decide what the future
had in store for me. I took some time out but when I made
an effort to return I was hindered by a knee injury,"
said Edmond.
"I was forced to have an operation on a torn meniscus
in January and am still recuperating now. It helped me to
make the final decision.
"I asked myself what else I wanted to achieve in the
sport and realistically I couldn't justify another four years
concentrating on Beijing as I'd already taken four years out
from my degree ahead of Athens.
"I used to combine study and swimming but I just missed
out on making the Sydney team so had a decision to make and
I chose swimming. The time is right now for me is to choose
medicine."
Edmond's high point of his seven-year senior career came
in Barcelona, 2003 when the Scot took World Championship silver
in the 200m Breaststroke.
He went on to fulfil a lifetime dream in 2004 when he was
selected to compete at the Olympics although it ended in disappointment
for Edmond when he was disqualified from the 200m event at
the semi-final stage.
In 2001 Edmond also took silver at the European Championships
(SC) in the 200m Breaststroke. It was the same year in which
he bettered David Wilkie's Scottish 100m Breaststroke Record
set at the Montreal Olympics in 1976.
He went on to take Wilkie's 200m Breaststroke Record that
year also even though Edmond hadn't even been born when Wilkie
had set it 25-years earlier. Today Edmond holds the British
Record over the 200m distance.
"It took 25 years to break Wilkie's Scottish Record
and 11 years to break the British Record. Hopefully with the
way British Swimming is going today my records won't last
as long.
"Right across the board a new generation of swimmers
is stepping up to carry it on and it's great to see.
During the seven years Edmond has featured for Britain as
a senior international he's seen a "massive" shift
within the sport.
"Swimming has certainly changed. Bill Sweetenham (National
Performance Director) has revamped the culture and attitude
of the team. It's a massive change to the way things were.
"It's much more professional. Before the swimmers were
very independent. They were left to get on with it but these
days there is more of a team approach to everything.
"I'm going to miss being around the team and the spirit
that's generated. I've made some great friends for life."
Edmond was always clear in his mind of his aims for swimming
and views it as essential for youngsters to set goals before
they can realistically focus their efforts.
"You need an idea of where you want to be in swimming.
You need a dream to believe in. I always wanted to compete
at an Olympics and I managed that while achieving some great
things on the way," said Edmond.
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