SWEETENHAM VIEWS WORLDS AS BEIJING STEPPING STONE
British swimmers competing at next week's World Championships
in Melbourne are being urged to keep an eye on the ultimate
prize of an Olympic medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
National Performance Director Bill Sweetenham expects Britain's
swimmers to be ready to race against the rest of the world
when competition gets underway on 25th March but he also sees
it as a unique opportunity to assess where athletes are in
terms of their Olympic preparations ahead of Beijing in just
18 months' time.
The British team, currently at its pre-World Championship
camp on the Gold Coast, Australia is focused on performance
at the most important championships between Olympics but Sweetenham
is urging athletes to views the meet as a stepping stone to
greater success at the Olympics.
"These World Championships aren't an end in themselves
but just one in a series of preparations ahead of Beijing,"
said Sweeteham.
"The opportunity for British swimmers to gauge themselves
in readiness for the Olympics and, more importantly, gauge
themselves against the world will be invaluable.
"The event should be part of a swimmer's preparation
for the Beijing Olympics. In my view the summer events the
British swimmer will attend this year will be more important
as it gives a clearer indication of where they are exactly
a year out from Beijing."
"These next couple of weeks will serve as a reality
check to see where people are in their programmes but it does
provide another opportunity to swim against the world."
The World Championships will see the biggest names in the
sport, the strongest nations and heroes for the future come
together within the Rod Laver Stadium in front of crowds of
15,000 people.
World titles maybe at stake but it's next summer's Olympics
that hold an athlete's ultimate ambition and Sweetenham feels
everything in 2007 should be to that aim.
"Olympic medals will be won in training over this next
12 months and not by winning titles at a World Championships,"
explained Sweetenham. "Swimmers will gain confidence
from good results but it's not racing in Melbourne that will
deliver that Olympic podium place - it's about the preparation
that is done now.
"This doesn't mean an athlete can't compete. Swimmers
need to compete under pressure of hard training rather than
resting completely. It's about the short-term losses for the
long-term gains.
"A pre-Olympic World Championships have never been an
indicator of Olympic results the following year and Melbourne,
I'm certain, will be no exception."
The World Championships are also being utilised by British
Swimming to give greater experience to a wider base of coaches
and staff in readiness for a demanding future.
"We've exposed a large number of staff on this team
knowing that we must have depth of talent in staff for 2008
and 2012," said Sweetenham.
"It's my belief that we have an innovative coaching
and sports science staff and these are as good as any in the
world of swimming today.
"We're putting a team of staff together that works well
and are well drilled. Ian Turner is doing an excellent job
as Head Coach and we've been serviced by Don Talbot and Bob
Trefene as consultants while here in Australia."
Britain's swimmers will also have the added incentive in
Melbourne of putting their name forward for next summer's
Olympics at the earliest opportunity thus giving themselves
a long, uninterrupted period of training ahead of Beijing.
"Swimmers will be able to make the Olympic team in Melbourne
via pre-selection which will mean finishing within the top
four of the Olympic events," said Sweetenham.
"This mean's their only focus for the following 18months
will be their performance at the Olympics, they won't have
to concern themselves with qualifying at the trials.
"They'll be able to take advantage of a long endless
summer programme towards the end of the year where we can
send athletes to train in warmer climates and avoid the illness
that is sometimes rife in the UK."
Sweetenham believes Britain's swimmers are ready to test
themselves against the world given the quality of their preparation
which comes from an inner drive to succeed.
"The British athlete has moved on immensely in terms
of professionalism. They are a very professional unit, as
professional as any other in the world today, and I'm sure
they'll show that in Melbourne."
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