SWIMMERS ON GOLD COAST FOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CAMP
Britain's World Championship swimmers have arrived on the
Gold Coast in Australia for a two-week preparation camp that
will see the athletes achieving their physical and mental
peak by the time the competition gets underway in Melbourne.
The squad of 36 pool-based and three open water swimmers
have converged at the Southport School on the Gold Coast where
they will spend the next two weeks swimming outdoor in a number
of 50m pools in and around the school.
Head Coach Ian Turner is delighted to finally get the team
together and is excited about taking what he sees as a talented
and dedicated team to the World Championships later this month.
"We now have the entire World Championship team in place
at Southport where they will spend the next two weeks acclimatising
and finishing off preparations for Melbourne.
"I'm looking forward to working with the team and I
know they'll put their absolute all into making sure they're
at their best for what will be a fast meet at the World Championships.
"We've given the squad a long period of time to acclimatise
to the contrast in the weather as well as to get the travel
out of their system. Although the World Championships are
indoors the temperature will be above 30 Celsius so it's important
to get used to that."
Britain is continuing to use the Southport School - the venue
for British Swimming's Offshore Centre and preparation camp
ahead of last year's Commonwealth Games - and continues to
develop a strong relationship with the boys' school that has
already proved so successful.
"We're using our traditional venue at The Southport
School," said Turner. "We have a close relationship
which is mutually beneficial which has seen the implementation
of our very own offshore centre where our young male swimmers
train and school.
"As a team we're following the same methods we used
ahead of the Commonweath Games last year which proved so successful
for us. We'll also use facilities at Runaway Bay and St Hilda's
school which are all within a short distance from Southport.
"It's much healthier for the guys to be training outdoors
and it's a good experience for the athletes. They're able
to use 50m pools with short course options as well."
Some of the British squad have enjoyed the facilities and
unseasonably high temperatures on the Gold Coast for seven
days already after extending preparations to compensate for
a need for a longer recovery time.
"To compensate for the 10 hour time difference the athletes
need a full two weeks to adjust physically and mentally,"
said Turner.
"A third of the team have already been here for a week
as they feel they needed longer to acclimatise but now everyone
has come together there's a real buzz about the team."
"There's a great feel to the group and everyone is fit,
healthy and looking forward to putting the finishing touches
to their long preparations and then taking on the world in
Melbourne later in the month."
Derby-born Ross Davenport (Loughborough University) is very
familiar with the Southport School training base after spending
long training camps at the venue over the past few years.
"Preparing here on the Gold Coast holds so many benefits
for me," said Davenport. "Loughborough is a perfect
base for performing in Britain and Southport is perfect for
competing in Australia.
"It's fantastic training at Southport. We're outdoors
in a 12-lane, 50m pool and the sun is shining which gives
a real feel-good factor and reduces the risk of people getting
ill which can often be the case throughout the cold winters
back in Britain.
"The facility and access we have to it allows us much
more room which provides us with a focus on skills and techniques
rather than trying to avoid each other.
"Coming out early also enables us to experience our
entire three-week taper, where we reduce our workloads ahead
of a major competition, instead of splitting it with long-haul
travel. It's good to see it through in one block."
Turner will be supported by eight further coaches as well
as an off-site coaching team, sports scientists, nutritionists
and physiotherapists to ensure that athletes' needs are catered
for to allow their total focus on preparing for the meet.
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