Simon Burnett has scotched rumours that he is about to switch nationalities and compete for Holland, the country of his mother’s birth. Following several high profile defections from the ranks of Britain’s elite swimmers, Burnett’s name had been raised in some quarters as the next big name to go.
Not so, says the man from High Wycombe. Speaking to Total Swimming, Burnett was asked about the rumours and replied “A few people have asked me this question and I’m not sure why; I love swimming for Great Britain and have no plans to move to Holland.”
Instead he is busy preparing for next year’s Commonwealth Games at his training base in Arizona. “The facilities in Arizona are awesome. The weight room is unbelievable and the time and space I have available in the pool can’t be matched. The University runs the pool so we say when we train and don’t have to share the pool with anyone else.
“I also have the opportunity to live and train with Olympic champions all year round which keeps me focused and motivated.”
Meanwhile rumours that James Gibson and James Goddard are to retire currently doing the rounds on the internet are also false according to a British Swimming spokesman, who added that the governing body expects both to be in competitive action during 2006.