Lawson’s Log

Swimming Victoria
Published: Jul 12, 2012 09:21:12 AM Updated: Aug 23, 2012 10:15:41 AM

It’s not long until I leave for the pre-Olympic staging camp in Manchester and the nerves are building. 

The last two years of training, with London as a realistic goal, has lead to this moment.  Twelve sessions and over 35 hours a week will all come down to one 2 minute race in London.  I can feel the pressure mounting but my recent training has been some of the best I’ve produced all season which gives me confidence that I can succeed.  I also have a great support crew and training partners which keeps me in top condition.   

With the US trails complete, all qualifiers have been selected for the Games meaning I am ranked 29^th in the world for the men’s 200m backstroke.  The US trails produced several blistering swims and watching champions such as Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps has inspired me to produce something special in London. 

Having done the work I’m confident I can keep a level head and do a personal best time in the heats and break the 1min 58 mark to make the semi finals.   However before I contemplate competing I need to survive the 24 hour flight from Melbourne to Manchester.

Once arrived, I will join the rest of the Australian Swim Team in training at the 2002 Commonwealth Games Pool for a two week period before I fly back to London on July 28^th to stay at the athlete village.  Arriving on this date means I will miss the opportunity to walk in Australian colours at the opening ceremony, which is a little disappointing.   This decision was made by my coach (Ben Hiddlestone) and me from a performance point of view as I race on August 1^st.  

However this means I won’t have time to overeat and indulge myself in the athlete village dinning hall which is said to be the size of the MCG.  This is not surprising as it has to accommodate all athletes and coaches for 24 hours of the day.  This is probably the reason why they built the worlds largest McDonalds. The best bit is athletes get to eat there for FREE.  It is designed to feed 1200 people an hour which works out to be three people a second! (I’ve done my research).

The chance to represent Australia and live out a boy hood dream is something I am very proud of.  I’m not sure what lies ahead but I am excited about the challenges I may face.  To rub shoulders with some of the world’s greatest athletes will be amazing, but I know I have to remain focused to ensure that I compete at my best.

Wish me luck and thanks for your support. 

Matson Lawson