FOSTER HAS SIGHTS ON MANCHESTER WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
British Swimming's Mark Foster will become the eldest competitor
ever to have competed at a World Championships when he takes
to the blocks in Manchester next year just a month off his
38th birthday.
The ninth FINA World Championships (25m) will be Foster's
eighth of a career entering its 22nd year yet recent performances
have shown that within that time he has lost little of his
obvious talent and speed.
The first ever World Championships to be staged in Britain
will offer the perfect setting for Foster to showcase his
sprint talents which have delivered six World Championship
(25m) titles, three silver and a bronze over the past two
decades.
And in an Olympic year the University of Bath swimmer is
excited at the quality of the field promising to attend with
many of those that will be present in Beijing first going
head-to-head in the Manchester Evening News Arena.
Foster is part of a 38-strong British squad that will be
in perfect shape after heading to the World Championships
off the back of the British Olympic Trials just days before.
And with so many of Britain's top swimmers in such great
shape, Foster is upbeat about the team's prospects which will
be fuelled further by the home crowd.
"It's an amazing experience and one that I'm really
excited about," said Foster. "How often does anyone
get the opportunity to represent their country within their
own country? It's something that athletes dream about and
has been in the forefront of my mind since 2004 when Manchester
was announced as the venue.
"In my career I've been very lucky to have competed
in 1986, 1995, 1998 and 2002 at major international events
within Britain but this is the first time we've ever had a
World Championships.
"I was desperate to race in Manchester. There aren't
many opportunities to compete at a major international meet
in front of a home crowd and to be honest it's likely to be
my last."
Foster believes the World Championships, falling in an Olympic
year, will be a great spectacle for the host audience and
he envisages many of Britain's Olympians challenging for honours.
"Manchester promises to be a quite amazing show in a
unique venue and in an Olympic year we need to show as many
people as possible just what great talent we have in British
Swimming, the personalities involved and what a great sport
it is," said Foster.
"As a team we will be looking to stand on that podium
with the British flag behind us and to inspire others to not
only follow in our wake but also to get involved in the sport
of swimming.
"The next Michael Phelps is out there and there's no
reason why he can't be British. The more people we move to
get involved in swimming the more likely this person will
be able identified but it's also about just getting people
into the water to increase their health and happiness."
Foster, who hasn't ruled out the possibility of qualifying
for the Olympics next year, feels Manchester could be his
final major performance in Britain - the same place his lengthy
international career began.
"My first international was the 1986 Commonwealth Games
in Edinburgh so therefore it would be nice to finish off at
the World Championships in Manchester 22 years later but it's
an Olympic year and anything could happen, said Foster.
Foster, who took time out from the sport after the Commonwealth
Games in 2006, feels he has used his break to good effect
by experimenting with the stroke he has relied so heavily
on for the past 20 years.
"In stepping away from the sport for 18months I realised
a few things and I've adopted these since my return to competitive
swimming," said Foster. "I used to look from event
to event but the break has enabled me to step back, break
things down and I've been trying different things.
"I started to analyse what I was doing both in the water
and on land, looked at other sports and some of their techniques,
and I have changed my form slightly. I've been looking at
how to get the absolute maximum out of my stroke without losing
efficiency and I'm excited about what I've found.
"The break has given me back a hunger for racing, I've
been swimming well and I'm keen to see how it comes together
in Manchester.
"In the past, when I touched the wall to finish a race
I'd judge whether it was good or bad and look to see how I
can improve next time around. These days when I touch the
wall I never know whether there is going to be a next time
so every swim counts. It could be me last ever race and I
want to make sure I've given everything."
As the eldest member of the British squad Foster appreciates
the role he can play in passing on his experience to his team
mates who he feels are the best group of young swimmers to
come out of Britain in a number of years.
"We've got a lot of exciting talent emerging in Britain
and we need to give them what they need to make sure they
complete their progression into world class athletes. I hope
to help that process," said Foster.
"Swimming for Great Britain brings with it so many responsibilities
to myself to get the right result but also to the younger,
less experienced swimmers who I hope to help through what
will be a fast and exhilarating championships."
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