WORLD CHALLENGE STARTS FOR RISING BRITISH TEAM
The first World Championships to be staged in Britain will
offer the perfect setting for the national swim team to showcase
their talents as they go into tomorrow's event riding high
off the back of a record breaking Olympic trials.
Manchester hosts the ninth FINA World Championships (25m)
at the M.E.N. Arena from 9th to 13th April and some of the
biggest names in world swimming will be there as they continue
their preparations for this summer's Olympic Games.
The British squad of 38 swimmers arrived in Manchester on
Sunday, straight off the back of the Olympic trials, ready
to compete within the temporary pool placed inside the concert
venue of the M.E.N. Arena.
For Head Coach Chris Nesbit the World Championships provides
the British athletes and coaches the perfect opportunity to
continue to build the momentum in an Olympic year.
"The aim here is to build on the great performances
in Sheffield last week at the Olympic trials and to gain further
confidence on the world stage," said Nesbit.
"We've made massive gains domestically over the past
week but we need to transfer that now to the international
arena and increase the confidence of both the athletes and
coaches.
"Our focus at these World championships will be on performances
and I'm sure if we do that, the results will come off the
back of that."
Nesbit believes crowds in Manchester will be able to play
a valuable part in terms of the British team and drive them
on to best performances.
"Being at home is a real advantage and will help to
make sure the athletes feel comfortable. It's something we've
witnessed before at the Europeans in 1993 and the Commonwealths
in 2002, the support is a huge benefit.
"For those looking towards the 2012 Olympics, and there
are many within this squad, then this is a vital towards that.
It's a great opportunity to sample how that will feel when
the Games come to London.
"The venue is fantastic, it hits you straight away just
what a good show these World Championships are going to be.
It will help to excite and raise the interest of the sport
from those outside of swimming. It inspires the athletes and
will have a positive effect on performance."
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 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.
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