Recently retired swimmer Rebecca takes a look at blueseventy’s British future pool stars for Rio 2016
after a controversial BBC article questioned the potential of British swimmers
to better the medal total of London 2012.
Swimmers across the UK were left defending their sport yesterday after a questioning article was posted online by the BBC. The article titled 'Can British Swimming rise again after the failure of London 2012?' discussed how Team GB "flopped in the Olympic pool" after winning just three medals - that's more than at Barcelona, Sydney, Athens and Beijing. Somebody should redefine failure!
David Bond, the BBC Sports Editor who wrote the article argues that Britain's young swimmers do have the potential to outperform their 2012 counterparts in Rio 2016. In fact, blueseventy is already seeing many of the its up and coming swimmers stepping up and filling the vacuum left by those swimmers retiring after the 2012 Olympics.
Among the swimmers in the blueseventy talent pool is sixteen-year-old James Guy
from Millfield School. Guy, who will be 20 in 2016, won a bronze medal at the
Junior European Championships in July and has recently improved his personal best times.
He is now ranked third in the UK for 200m and 400m freestyle (SC) just behind
two Olympians, including Robbie Renwick who is more than seven years his
senior. Guy looks on track to reach Rio
in 2016 and this weekend goes to Brazil to swim for GBR at the School Games. “Competing in Brazil will be
great experience, there’s been such a buzz after the Olympics it’s made me
realise how much I want to be at Rio 2016. Over the next few years I want to
win European Juniors and medal at the World Youths, and hopefully make the
Commonwealth Games team. It’s hard work, but achieving goals makes it all
worthwhile, and the support from blueseventy is going to help me do that," said Guy.
The BBC article also discussed how the 'home advantage may have become home disadvantage' despite being the biggest participation sport in the UK, swimming is virtually ignored by the media except for that one
month every four years when British swimmers become dazzled by the flash flood
of fame. As well as providing its swimmers
with material support in the form of kit, blueseventy hopes the promotional work with our athletes will give them valuable media experience
over the next few years that will help them deal with the pressure that swimmer
Rebecca Adlington said she struggled with in London and Beijing.
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| Adam Barrett |
Adam Barrett was talent
spotted by blueseventy in September and has already come
along leaps and bounds. It seems the laid back butterfly wonder from
Loughborough University won’t be shaken by the media in Glasgow 2014. “I'm a very relaxed person; I don't tend to let a lot of stuff
bother me, which is ideal when an important race is coming up. Nerves aren't
really an issue, I just tend to look forward to it more than anything," he said.
Is this the attitude that the media expect from all our swimmers? If
so, they should know Barrett is a rare breed in the pool and this could be his
secret weapon over the next few years. His incredible work ethic and relaxed
attitude has just won him a place on the British team for the Flanders Swimming
Cup next year, and already this year Barrett has won two titles at the British
University and College Championships (BUCS) and won titles at the Masters
National Championships, breaking British records in the process.
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| Georgia Davies |
blueseventy’s own Olympian
is the fierce Welsh backstroker Georgia Davies, whose impressive technique and
composure leaves many in awe and she has already won a Commonwealth medal in 2010 at Delhi. Her persistence and
determination paid off again in March 2012 when she qualified for her first
Olympics in London. Next month Davies travels to Istanbul for the World Short Course
Championships, and after storming her way to two convincing wins with some
solid early season times at the BUCS Championships, she is confident ahead of
the event. “I was pleased with how I raced at BUCS
considering how early it was in the season, and especially as I haven’t even
started any speed work in training yet! I wanted to work hard in the heats
because I need to practice swimming fast in my morning swims, so when it comes
to the international meets like world short course, I can progress further
through the rounds. Istanbul should be good but tough, hopefully I can race
well and reach a final.”
blueseventy’s other Commonwealth hopefuls for 2016
include breaststroker Rory Pardoe, all round expert Ross Muir and butterfly specialist
Alys Thomas. We will be keeping you posted on their progress through the
season, but if you’d like to keep up with them on Twitter you can find them
here:
We’d love to have your feedback
on this article, and what do you think the next generation of British swimmers
are capable of at Rio 2016. Leave your comments below!
