OLYMPIC MEDALLIST FOCUSES ON TEAM SPIRIT
One of Britain's most decorated swimmers of a generation
is playing a vital role in helping athletes from the present
and those earmarked for the future to achieve at the highest
level.
Former Olympic, World and Commonwealth 1500m Freestyle medallist
Graeme Smith, who retired from competition following the 2004
Olympics, still plays a valuable role within a sport he dedicated
his life to and now helps others to try to reach the same
heights that he has.
Ranked inside the world's top 10 over 1500m for a staggering
11 years, Smith brings a unique level of experience and understanding
to his role of athlete liaison and this week he'll be imparting
that knowledge on Britain's swimmers at the Mare Nostrum tour
across France and Spain.
Although retired, the highly regarded Smith (30) is still
desperate to affect British medal counts of the future and
hopes that his experience and involvement will do just that
as he works with a large and mixed British squad in Canet
and Barcelona.
"What I do in my role will evolve over time. I support
the swimmers, pass on my experiences and provide communication
between athletes, coaches and support staff," explained
Smith. "I think it's vital and I hope I can make a difference
to our results in Beijing in two years time.
"It's a similar to all of the support staff that work
with the squad in that we're a service to be utilised by the
athletes. That's all we're here for - to support the swimmers
and to make sure they have what they need to do their job
properly.
"I hope there's something I can bring to the team that
will turn that ninth place into a final swim or that fourth
place to an appearance on the podium in Beijing. If I can
do that then it's a job well done."
Scottish born Smith will be working across a wide range of
swimmers this week as part of British Swimming's Mare Nostrum
squad. Not only will he be assisting former team mates and
coaches, he'll be helping to introduce a group of talented
youngsters to top international competition featuring the
world's best swimmers.
Putting the younger swimmers together with the more experienced
athletes within the British ranks is something Smith believes
can only benefit the sport in terms of international results
in the future.
"It may not happen this week in Canet and Barcelona
but what these young swimmers are doing is perfect preparation
for the future," said Smith.
"It's great having the juniors here with the seniors.
Many athletes in action this week will actually be the nucleus
of the squads that will compete at the 2008 Beijing and London
2012 Olympics.
"We're missing some key people through exams back in
the UK and we've got a group of young guys at an offshore
centre in Australia but in the main we've got the present
and the future of the sport together in one place."
Smith believes team spirit can be key to success in the international
swimming arena and his role is ideally placed to ensure this
important factor isn't overlooked.
"Over the past few years the team spirit has been a
vital component to success. By integrating the swimmers together
on the Mare Nostrum tour it creates a strong team bond and
gives us something to continue to build on," explained
Smith.
"It's never a bad idea to include youngsters when you've
got so many experienced and talented athletes for them to
work with.
"It's not just a one-way street either as the younger
athletes bring something new to any squad. They're a breath
of fresh air and change is always a good thing when you're
as dedicated and committed to sport.
"Going away with the same people for 20 plus weeks a
year can get a little bit stale. The benefit of bringing together
two generations is immeasurable. That interaction between
different people keeps things interesting and fresh."
To promote that team spirit ethic, Smith together with sports
psychologist Duncan Richards put the swimmers through their
paces today in France as part of a two-hour team building
exercise.
Swimmers were put in various situations where they were able
to learn about, understand and trust each, and in turn binding
them together as a unit.
"The session went well and I hope everyone got a lot
from it," said Smith. "It's designed to create that
bond straight away and I think it did just that."
There will also be other valuable lessons learned as the
Mare Nostrum will provide ideal competition ahead of Britain's
major challenges of the season.
"This week will be about preparation for most of the
swimmers with the European Championships, both senior and
junior, coming up next month," explained Smith. "More
than that though it's preparation for the world's biggest
event in Beijing just two summer's away.
"It's valuable experience for the younger athletes to
use this meet. The guys competing in the backstroke for instance
will find it tough. It gets windy outdoors, the flags will
be blowing all over the place and it will be difficult to
spot your finish and your turns but it's something they need
to get used to as most of the world's major meets these days,
including the Olympics, are outdoors."
Smith, who has recently finished a finance and management
degree in Manchester where he lives, won Olympic bronze in
1996 and World silver in 2001 to add to a haul of impressive
international medals.
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