If you’re the reigning world champion and have just finished fourth in the Olympics, a finger tip away from the podium, then it might be expected that you’d be back chasing success in that event the following season. But for Freya Colbert a change is as good as a rest in 2025, even if the 400IM remains on her programme for the World Championships.
“I think it’s really important to try different things. I don’t want to get close to burnout, and it was obviously a difficult result at the Olympics” she says. “I’m still really proud of where I finished, but I think if I continue to pursue the 400 IM just solely this year, and wholeheartedly, it’s very easy to get frustrated, and I think it can become a bit stagnant, it’s not as enjoyable anymore, so I’m really enjoying pursuing other things.”
That desire to keep things fresh explains in part her programme at the British Championships this year which saw a return to the 200m backstroke instead of the 200IM and an increased focus on the 200m freestyle, a race where she posted the second fastest all time performance by British woman.
“It was obviously really positive, because I came out with a PB, but hopefully there’s more to come” she said in the immediate aftermath. “I have got the British record in the back of my mind. Unfortunately, I wasn’t quite there tonight, but there are plenty of races to come, and hopefully it’s an event that I’m going to be pursuing individually in Singapore, so hopefully the British record may come then.”
Not that she is underestimating the challenge of reaching that mark.
“It’s been there a very long time, and as Dave [Hemmings] my coach said to me, it’s such a historic record, it was set in the super suits by Jo Jackson, an ex World Record holder [in the 400m freestyle], so it’s definitely going to be a very challenging one to get. She’s someone I look up to a lot, but I’ve got my eye on it.
“It’s coming, fingers crossed; it’s been on the books for 16 years, so it’s about time it went!”
Not that this increased freestyle ambition means she’s abandoning the 400IM entirely even if there’s a bit of give and take in her training
“I’ve done plenty of 400 medleys in my life. It’s not something you just forget how to do, and it’s not like all the training’s gone out the window, but it’s definitely very hard to feel like you’re fitting everything in.
“There’s a lot of trust that goes into it. I’ve definitely pulled back on some of my medley training and focused a little bit more on the speed and on the freestyle and on the backstroke, and I’m just going to have to trust that I can still put together a good four IM. I think a lot of it comes from race experience and race practice, and just reminding myself that it’s not something you forget really quickly.”
There are other advantages to focussing on the 200 free, which she describes as “slightly less painful than a 400 IM”, with just a hint of understatement.
“I do love a 200 freestyle” she says. “I think partly because doing the relay and doing it with the girls is always such fun so I think it’s definitely my favourite event to swim.”
Despite that, there is no rush on Colbert’s part to pigeon hole herself into one event.
“I’m just keeping all the doors open. I’m still only 21, and I enjoy racing, and I enjoy racing a multitude of different events” she says before confirming the philosophy behind trying these new things. “I’m thinking of it as improving my overall athlete profile, like my speed, my endurance, my skills, and just trying to become an overall better swimmer the whole way round.” We’ll see in Singapore just how much better she can be.
Banner Image: Morgan Harlow for Aquatics GB