Swimmer Spotlight David Davies

As role models go, you could do much worse than Joe Calzaghe.

The undisputed super middleweight champion of the world is boxing’s hottest property after his fine display over Mikkel Kessler.

And for one Welsh swimmer, the experience of watching his compatriot defeat Kessler has proved inspirational.

The Olympic bronze and Commonwealth gold medallist was among the 50,000 people who packed into the Millennium Stadium to see Calzaghe confirm his place as one of the greatest boxers of all time.

“It is something I was very, very proud to have been at,” Davies told BBC Sport.

“The atmosphere inside the stadium was amazing and the whole night was really all about Wales and Welsh sport, and it was a great moment.

“Getting to the top is hard enough, but the hardest thing to do is stay there… and he’s done it for a decade.

“He’s an absolutely amazing ambassador for Welsh sport and I have the utmost respect for him.”

While Calzaghe is the talk of the town at the moment, Davies is hoping that come next August he will be the man flying the flag for Welsh and British sport.

Davies is among the favourites to take 1500m freestyle gold at next year’s Beijing Olympics, and he will stop at nothing to achieve it.

He has already left Wales to live in Loughborough to help improve his chances of Olympic glory, and the 22-year-old will spend Christmas warm-weather training at British Swimming’s Offshore Centre on the Gold Coast in Australia.

While leaving his home in Barry was a tough decision, Davies is confident the move to Loughborough was the right choice.

“It is a massive sporting centre, not just for swimming but also for athletics and rugby,” he said.

“The pool is amazing, as is the gym, and there is a superb coaching set-up.

“It is a very professional environment to be in and you share experiences with other athletes, which helps that learning experience.”

After a good summer of training, Davies is looking forward to continuing his preparations in Australia as part of British Swimming’s ‘Endless Summer’ scheme.

The scheme gives swimmers the chance to train in warmer climes, cutting the risk of common colds and other health problems that could damage their chances in Beijing.

Davies will join 30 of Britain’s elite swimmers in Australia, and training will include swimming 50 miles a week, split into 10 sessions.

“I had a hard winter and have been putting in the miles so that next year I’ll be at my peak,” said Davies.

“As the Olympics grow closer I’ll work on my race speed, but at the moment it is all about hard work.”

Australia is home to Grant Hackett, the 1500m legend who will be out to win a third straight Olympic title in Beijing.

Hackett could only finish seventh on his return from a shoulder injury at the world championships in April, while Davies won bronze as Poland’s Mateusz Sawrymowicz took gold.

The rivals will get the chance to measure their progress at the worlds in Manchester next April, before their big showdown in Beijing in August.

Davies will train in Australia until New Year’s Day, and he will be joined by his parents for Christmas.

“We’ll spend Christmas on the beach, which will be nice,” he said.

“Australia is like a second home for me and you do get recognised out there due to the profile of the sport.”

Source: BBC Sport

Australian swimmer Hanson retires

Australian Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Brooke Hanson has retired nine months before the Beijing Games start.
The 29-year-old made the decision to quit after struggling to rediscover her motivation after suffering an electric shock in a spa pool earlier this year.

Hanson said: “I now know that my heart, my mind and my body have decided it is time for the next chapter in my life.”

In 2004 she won gold in the 4×100m medley relay at the Athens Olympics and silver in the 100m breaststroke.

Hanson then collected a record six gold medals at the World Short Course Championships in Indianapolis in the same year.

She was named the most outstanding female swimmer after winning the

• 50m,
• 100m and 200m breastroke,
• 100m and 200m individual medleys
• 4×100m medley relay.

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