COOK'S OLYMPIC JOURNEY TO START IN HUNGARY
A 31-strong British Swimming squad has been named for the
LEN European Short Course Championships which take place in
the Hungarian city of Debrechen this December.
The event provides the perfect test for British athletes
Chris Cook (City of Newcastle) and James Kirton (City of Sheffield)
who are on the way back from disappointment and injury, respectively,
with their eyes set on the Beijing Olympics next summer.
For a large part of the squad the European event will provide
another opportunity to compete on the international stage
as they continue their development towards the London 2012
Olympics but some will definitely harbour dreams of making
it to Beijing and Debrechen provides the perfect starting
point.
For Cook the European Championships are also a vital step
on the way to securing Olympic passage in an event that is
arguably more competitive than any other in Britain.
"My whole year is geared towards the Beijing Olympics
but it's going to be very tough to simply make the team,"
explained Cook.
"There are so many good breaststroke swimmers in this
country at the moment with the older guys being pushed all
of the time by younger swimmers such as James Kirton (City
of Sheffield) and Kris Gilchrist (City of Edinburgh).
"It's been a difficult two years for me for a number
of reasons. I have an ongoing breaststroke injury but it's
part and parcel of the event I do and I've learned to cope
and work around it.
"The injury ruined my summer of 2006 but I've been working
hard to overcome it and I must say though that I feel in the
shape of my life at the moment.
"This year has been disappointing for me but I've worked
hard to try to put that right. I've looked at certain components
of my race, identified what needs addressing and now feel
this has given me a lot of benefits."
Cook's recovery has been both mental as well as physical
and he feels ready to take on what promises to be a very challenging
period.
"As a result of a lot of hard work I've got a lot more
confidence and have really applied that in training for what
is going to be a demanding yet exciting year ahead,"
said Cook.
"Hungary will give me a chance to build on that and
I'll be there to perform. The plan is to train through the
event, as it's not the emphasis of the year, but for me it
will be a very important checkpoint.
"At a short course event everything is put under the
microscope. Your starts and turns have to be the best they
can be, they're under scrutiny all of the time and if you
don't get them right your can't rely on your stroke to get
back into the race. It's important to get everything right."
The swimmers will be guided by Head Coach Kevin Renshaw who
will be looking to his squad to push themselves into the frame
for Olympic selection for 2008 and 2012.
"Many of the group are undergoing their development
ahead of the London Olympics but that said I know that some
will be looking to qualify for Beijing as it will provide
valuable experience by the time the 2012 Games arrive,"
said Renshaw.
"It will be the first real test for the squad following
a large block of work they've undergone since the end of the
summer and it provides a good marker as to where they're at
in this very important year.
"Europe takes this meet very seriously and we'll be
looking to meet this challenge head on but it's a young team
in the main that is looking to use it to build experience
and confidence but there will definitely be medals there to
be won."
Renshaw believes many of the squad will be in a great position
to challenge for honours given their preparation going into
Debrechen.
"Around half of the group will attend a four-day meet
in Eindhoven the week before where they'll compete long course
(50m) before they face a stern short course test.
"This will have a real benefit for swimmers and while
they're competing we'll be analysing their races, looking
at their starts and turns in an effort to tighten up on key
skills for the future."
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