The home games were absolutely amazing. I really wanted to do some special things in Manchester - just because it was only 30 miles away form where I was born and I was training n Manchester at the time and I just felt like it provided the perfect … Continue Reading→
1998, Kuala Lumpur, was my first Commonwealth Games, in fact, my first major swimming event for BBC Radio 5 Live. Although I had covered the 1993 European Long Course Champs in Sheffield five years previously for Radio Sheffield, this was my first BIG swimming gig and it provided … Continue Reading→
Kuala Lumpur had 13300 odd seats and it was absolutely unbelievable and they were very, very enthusiastic there. Of course the Commonwealth Games creates lots and lots of rivalries and I'd never seen anything like it and it was something I really enjoyed actually and something I … Continue Reading→
The team officials had put me in a room with the old heads of the team - Phil Rogers Chris Fydler, Matt Dunn and Kieren Perkins. All the talk was about the 200m freestyle world record [Giorgio Lamberti's 1:46.69 from 1986] - I genuinely thought I would have … Continue Reading→
The best thing about Manchester was the atmosphere of the tiny pool. The constant musical backdrop kept the crowd revved up and wildly enthusiastic. the spectators in the front row were so close they could shake my hand. The relaxed intimacy of the place had infused me with … Continue Reading→