TANCOCK READY FOR COMMONWEALTH CHALLENGE
As England ' s Liam Tancock prepares for his first Commonwealth
Games it ' s hard to imagine that a little over six months
ago the backstroke swimmer was yet to make a senior international
squad.
Since then he has enjoyed the success that commitment and
hard work can bring and he will be looking to continue that
trend when he arrives in Melbourne for next week ' s Commonwealth
Games.
The 20-year-old ' s first taste of a major international
event came last summer at the Montreal World Championships
where he announced his arrival on the global stage with a
medal at the first time of asking.
His successful form continued in December at the European
Championships where he won three bronze medals, albeit while
in full training for his main objective in 2006 - the Commonwealth
Games.
Tancock, originally from Exeter, is finalising his preparations
with coach Ben Titley at the squad ' s Gold Coast camp before
travelling to Melbourne on Sunday and is well aware of the
challenge ahead of him if he is to continue his impressive
start to his international career.
" I ' ll be looking at both the 50m and 100m Backstroke
but the shorter of the two is more my natural event, "
said Tancock. "
Australia ' s Matt Welsh is certainly going to be the man
to beat though. He ' s from Melbourne, will be swimming in
front of his home crowd and is the hot favourite after taking
silver at last year ' s World Championships.
" I ' m really looking forward to swimming against
him, they might all be cheering for him but as an athlete
you have to take something from that. I ' m sure that will
have a positive effect on me.
" There are a few other guys in the hunt for honours
in the 100m Backstroke. Matt Clay for England, Gregor Tait
for Scotland and the Welsh will all be hard to beat. I ' ll
be there to swim my own race and we ' ll just have to see
where that gets me.
" The Loughborough University swimmer ' s preparation
has been totally geared to the 100m event, as that ' s where
his future lies due to the fact it ' s an Olympic event whereas
the 50m isn ' t.
" I don ' t train for the 50m event at home any more
but currently it is the stronger of my two events, "
explained Tancock." I want to get to the stage where
I ' m as competitive over the 100m as I am over the 50m, "
.
For Tancock it ' s a matter of counting down the days now
to the start of competition as the excitement mounts ahead
of the biggest competition of his young career.
One thing that has surprised the athlete, however, is the
scale of the sport of swimming in Australia and this is something
he is sure will make the Games so special.
" This is my first Commonwealth Games and I want to
take everything in my stride and enjoy it. I ' ve experienced
a multi-sport games and a village environment at the World
University Games last year but I ' m sure this will be totally
different.
" Swimming is massive in Australia. Every Australian
I ' ve spoken to while at the camp knows everything about
the sport, who ' s who and which swimmer to look out for.
The Games in Australia are going to be amazing.
" I ' m so pleased to be competing on day one of the
meet. I like to start straight away, to get in there and get
a feel for what the meet is about. I know it ' s going to
be an amazing sensation.
" Despite going up against Australia and a home crowd
infatuated by the sport Tancock will be able to count on the
unflinching backing of his family who will be there to cheer
his every stroke.
Parents Tony and Kim will be there in the stands with his
grand parents who moved to the Gold Coast, home to the squad
' s preparation camp, earlier this year.
" I ' ve been to see my grand parents, Ken and Audrey,
and we ' ve had dinner together. It ' s nice to be so far
away from home but have someone so close.
" With everyone cheering for their Australian idols
it will be nice to know that somewhere in the crowd I ' ll
be able to count on my family.
" Four years ago, when Manchester played host the Games,
Tancock remembers the action unfolding on the television screen.
One of the most significant moments for Tancock was seeing
his life-long friend, a little known swimmer called David
Davies, make his international debut for the Welsh squad.
It was the beginning of Davies ' career and two year ' s
later the teenager at the time was standing on the Olympic
podium collecting a 1500m Freestyle medal.
" It was good to see my friend David (Davies) up there
at the last Games, " said Tancock. " He ' s been
my closest friend in the sport since I began swimming, we
' ve roomed together and believe it or not we used to race
each other.
" What he ' s done since has been amazing. It ' s what
every swimmer strives to achieve. Everyone should look up
to him as an Olympic medallist.
" Because we ' ve always competed against each other
I hope one day I can equal his achievements or better them.
"
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