Oplympics: Goodhew tipping Welsh swimmer Davies

Feb 28 2008 by Tim Lewis, Western Mail

OLYMPIC champion Duncan Goodhew believes Welsh swimming sensation David Davies is well equipped to bring home Beijing gold.

The 100m freestyle champion in Moscow during the 1980 Olympics is one of the most recognisable faces in British swimming and said he’s continually impressed by the Barry-born swimmer.

Davies came to prominence by winning a bronze 1500m freestyle medal at the Athens Olympics in 2004.

Two years later he won 1500m gold at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne and a bronze in the 400m freestyle.

“He’s been a phenomenal success since he broke through,” said Goodhew as Davies was officially included in the Great Britain Olympic squad for this summer’s Games.

“I interviewed him before he went to Athens in 2004, and since then he has been amazing.

“He’s had the misfortune of being in an event with probably one of the greatest swimmers ever seen, Grant Hackett.

“But now he’s coming towards the end of his career, David will be looking to take over.

“I feel a gold medal is a very realistic possibility at Beijing and I would be very disappointed for him if he didn’t come back home with a medal.

“From taking your first strokes to winning a gold medal it’s all a learning curve, winning is a process and it’s about asking questions of yourself and delivering the answers 100 per cent.

“But you have to stay healthy, the Olympics is a couple of minutes of competing every four years and you have to train all your life for those minutes. But you can’t guarantee things will go your way.”

Not content with shining in the indoor pool, Davies this year took a big step towards joining rival Hackett for the inaugural 10km open water thrash in Beijing.

He put in a winning performance at the South African Open Water Championships in Cape Town earlier this month to seal his place for the next stage of Olympic qualification in the 10km event.

Goodhew said, “Only he will know if he is capable of competing in both, you have to build an integrity of performance.

“If he believes he can fulfil that, he will have a go at winning both.”

Looking forward to his second Olympic Games, Davies said, “I am really looking forward to the coming months and my previous Games experience will help me to remain calm and focus on the job that needs to be done.

“To represent your country at an Olympic Games is the biggest accolade an athlete can have. I feel really honoured to be on the Great Britain team.”

British swimming legend Goodhew was speaking at the opening of the new international 50m swimming pool in Cardiff, where young talent Thomas Haffield broke Davies’ Welsh 400m individual medley record.

Goodhew praised the new pool and its young hopefuls and said it should ensure a bright future ahead of London 2012 and the next Olympics after Beijing.

He said, “It’s great news for swimming in Wales, the environment here is fantastic and, in competitive terms, it should make a big difference.

“The swimmers will learn so much about themselves in stressful situations and how to respond to coaching.

“They will find out how work and dedication brings results.

“Young swimmers will take the time they need. Hopefully people like Tom will be up there in London 2012 winning gold, but it’s up to him.

“He’s got to reach very deep down inside him and only he can decide what lengths he is willing to go to in order to succeed.”