graeme smith
He's been around for a while on the international stage, but at only 26, Graeme Smith remains one of Britain's brightest hopes for medals in Barcelona and next year in Athens. Smith has shown tremendous determination to dig himself out of a period of poor form that would have finished off lesser swimmers and burst back into the limelight with stunning performances at the 2001 World Championships, where only the incomparable Grant Hackett could prevent the Scot from taking gold. Having qualified for three individual events in Barcelona, Smith was evidently going to be pleased with his weeks' work in Sheffield.
How pleased were you with your swims at the trials?
I was over the moon to be honest. To go to the trials when it's only a 5 day meet, rather than an 8 day meet like it will be at the worlds, and to qualify in the 400, 800 and 1500 was great. Putting some half decent times in as well was a bit of a bonus really.
Do you think swimming the 200 free semi in the same session as the 1500 final had an effect on your time?
I think so, yes. During the race when Dave [Davies] started getting ahead of me at about 800 to 850m I started to wonder if I had made the right decision. But I've said all along this year that, although I'd like to win medals at worlds this year, the main aim has to be Athens next year. The fact that in the relays this year, the top 12 teams in Barcelona will go to Athens meant that I'm going to try and make it as easy for Bill as possible to pick the best team. If I'm one of the best guys in the 200 I'll swim in the 4x200 to give Britain the best chance of having a team in it next year.
Do you think you might have gone sub 15 minutes without that extra swim?
You never know - maybe 15.02 or 15.03, but to be honest I probably would have just stuck with Dave and then tried to out sprint him anyway, like I did over the last 200m. I don't think there would have been that much difference it just might not have hurt so much!
Your trials swim of 15.07 was faster than you swam last year, does that set you up for a good season?
I certainly think so. In the lead up to Christmas I was doing some great work, then we raced a lot in December so I struggled a bit in January in training after the effects of that. Then we were out in South Africa until February at altitude, so I didn't actually train off what I consider fast times, because at altitude you swim a bit slower, then I got a little bit ill when I came home. So I haven't put in what I would normally consider a great block of training over the last couple of months and to swim the times I did, well I'm over the moon and I think it sets me up very nicely for the rest of the year.
You're swimming pretty consistently now, is that very satisfying given the tough time you had in the late nineties?
It is - I've always said that consistency is the key for me. If I know I can go 15.05 any day of the week then 9 times out of 10 I'll make a major games final and once you've made the final you've got a chance. Whereas if one minute I'm going 15 minutes the next 15.15 it's hit or is whether I'll make it to the final.
You swam 15.02 in the 1996 Olympic final to take the bronze. Did you really think that it would take a further five years to take the next step and swim under 15 minutes?
Not at all to be honest. After 96 I was looking at Jorg Hoffman's European Record,. At the time maybe the year after to go under 15 minutes but certainly by about 99 I thought I would be close to the record. But for one reason or another it just didn't happen. I'm still hoping one day I'll have the chance, just one perfect day where everything feels right, when I can have a real go at the record
Is the record still a major aim of yours?'?
It is, but obviously Grant's [Hackett] times, well they're fairly impressive aren't they? And Kieron's [Perkins] 14.43 is very good as well, but I certainly think that 14.50 is possible for myself and maybe for a few other guys if we get it right on the day. So if I could be the third man ever under 14.50 I think that would be a great achievement for myself.
The sort of training that I'd done before the trial and produced a 15.05, I don't see why I couldn't drop a second per hundred and that's 14.50. If I can start going consistently under 15 minutes, maybe 14.50 to 14.55 then I'll give myself a great chance of a Olympic medal next year. But if I'm doing that, even if I have a bad day and swim around 15 minutes, I'll still have a chance whereas at the moment I have to get it exactly right on the day to have any chance of a medal.
Does Bill saying things like that motivate you or put you under pressure?
It doesn't put me under anymore pressure, I think he’s just trying to keep us on our toes really. So we don't go to trials do world class times, bit not outstanding times, and get carried away. He'll tell us something like our turns weren't very good. or something wasn't very good in the race so you keep your feet on the ground really, which is what we need.
What do you make of David?
I think he’s a very talented young man and the way he’s progressed over the last 12 or 18 months has been superb really. As I've said in the past if I can stay ahead of Dave from now until the Olympics, and I can beat him in the Olympic final, and I'd hope we'll both be in there, I'll be very close to, if not in the medals and maybe Dave as well.
You're not worried that he’s going to beat you?
Oh no, I'm sure that over the next 18 months there will be races where he will beat me. He’s a great swimmer. As long as I win more than I lose I'll be quite happy.
Your long time coach Dave Calleja is now down under at the high performance centre. How are you finding working with somebody new ion Sean Kelly?
Well Sean’s been at Stockport, where I've trained for most of my career, for a while anyway and before I moved to Manchester with Dave he was the assistant there. He’s seen how I trained with Dave in the past and knows what makes me work and at the age of 26 I know how to get the best out of myself as well. So Sean is taking that and just adding a few of his ideas as well, like working on the turns and speed a bit so I get out faster and finish faster in my races and I think it’s working very well.
Would you like to go out and train with Dave in Australia?
I would certainly like to get out to Australia. Where Dave is coaching is only about 15 minutes away form where Grant trains in Miami, so it would be ideal over next 18 months to get out there. But obviously the closer you get to the Olympics, the more you want to have a stable routine at home. The way that the programme works with Bill, with the event camps, stage meets and training camps in the Caribbean and South Africa before the end of the year finding a block of time, say 5 or 6 weeks, where I can get away is a problem. You need enough time to go over there and back and get over jet lag etc without having to race or anything straight away.
You've stopped doing weights as part of your programme. How did you make that decision?
I've always thought, especially as I'm a distance swimmer, that I'm not a weight trainer and for me if I'm swimming good times in the pool that's what gives me great confidence. Also Sean prefers a more circuit training type approach which I'm quite happy with - jumping bounding and body weight exercises for example, and I actually felt very strong and powerful at the trials.
Has your pool work increased as a result?
If anything the work in the pool has perhaps come down a small amount from last year. Maybe whereas last year I was doing maybe 80-85,000m per week I'm now doing 70-75,000m per week and trying to do a little bit more high quality work as part of that. A bit more work on my basic speed has helped the front end of my races.
Do you do a lot of technique work?
I do a fair bit of technique work with fins and those sorts of things just to improve my stroke and I think it has come on a bit over the last year
What’s your favourite drill?
I do really enjoy swimming with fins and finger paddles and just working on the front end of my stroke and the fins keep you higher in the water, which helps you feel a bit stronger in the water.