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Training is very full on at the moment as you could imagine. Aside from training at home in Melbourne I have been to a training camp in Cairns, the Telstra Grand Prix meet in Sydney and the main interest of a story about me being like ‘the boy in the bubble’.

So I’ll start with the training camp, which was a trip I really enjoyed as being a Queensland boy I love to break up the Victorian winter with a bit of sunshine and the far north didn’t disappoint.

I got to train outdoors and really focus on my preparation and having my good mate Ky Hurst around didn’t hurt either.

We then went to Sydney for the Grand Prix meet and I was very happy with the way I swam. I hadn’t tapered at all so to swim a 3.46 in the 400 freestyle and break 15 minutes for the 1500 freestyle for the first time at a small meet was a huge confidence boost for me. For the record I swam 14.51.

As I said it gives me plenty of confidence heading in to the Olympic Games in Beijing but I will continue to train hard and attempt to improve as I search for gold medals, particularly in the 1500 metres in what will be my last Olympics.

While I probably won’t retire immediately afterwards I can’t see myself making it to London in another four years time, or perhaps even having the desire to.

That’s part of the reason why I have gone to great lengths to protect my health this time around, but in my view I am simply being smart about the issue and doing no more than any other athlete who wants to win in Beijing would. If that means I don’t touch handrails or whatever else so be it.

I never actually read the article but I have heard about it and while I can confirm everything written was true, including that I do wear a mask on planes, so does the rest of the swim team and have been since 2002.

Does it look a bit weird? Probably, but planes are a place where there are plenty of colds and germs due to the air conditioning and the amount of people who are on them.

I can also confirm I won’t be participating in the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Games. For me it’s really not worth it and even if I was offered the opportunity to carry the flag I would say no, despite what an honour it would be.

I would be standing for hours and I don’t want to even take the chance of jeopardising my race chances. Because that is what I am there for!

Having said all that I am certainly not going to be paranoid about colds or my health, worrying about it doesn’t help. I think I proved that in Athens when I worried a lot and got sick.

There has been plenty going on in the swimming world, but perhaps the most exciting thing was to see how well Michael Phelps swam in the US Olympic Trials.

Phelps went on to say he wants to set a record at the Games and he is such a superstar he could achieve a record haul of gold medals. It will take a swimmer right on their game to defeat him in any event.

I head off for Singapore, Malaysia and China on July 19 and I’ll post again before then.

Take care - Grant

Ever since I have been back in Australia it’s been all about training for me. It’s really all I have done as I have had little time for anything else with Beijing just around the corner.

Training has actually been quite hard. The 10 kilometre race in Seville took a lot out of me. It’s the swimmers equivalent of a marathon and just to elaborate on why I looked bloated after the event, there were a number of factors including carbo-loading and swallowing some water while I was out there.

The greater irony is I was weighing 93 kilograms at the time and I like to race at 95, while during the World Championships last year I weighed 99-100 kilograms and no one said anything.

I’ve been asked a lot about what my future holds beyond Beijing and to be honest I don’t really know.

My entire focus right now is Beijing and all I know is afterwards I will be taking a well-earned holiday with Candice. We only had four days for our Honeymoon after all.

In regards to Nick D’Arcy, he has taken his appeal as far as it can really go as far as the outcome is concerned.

At some stage you have to take responsibility for your actions. It is a shame. Nick has put so much hard work into his Olympic campaign, set a new national record and then he has had it all taken away.

Outside of the pool I have done some work on advertising campaigns for Uncle Toby’s, Telstra and Varta Batteries as well as watched an Origin game where I was disappointed with the way my home state played.

It seemed to me like Queensland felt they were the better team and then NSW came out and surprised them, dominating for 80-90% of the game. However being a Queenslander I know they will come back hard in game 2.

I have never actually been to an Origin game because of the timing of training and major events and, along with the Formula One Grand Prix - if it stays - is an event I really want to see when I retire.

Grant

Europe was fantastic and I had a great time over there from the very start. I was able to take in the World Short Course Championships as a commentator for the BBC and really enjoyed that. The coverage was only in Europe so know one would have heard me here.

I was told I was actually quite good by a few of the swimmers who said it was great  to have someone who has been around swimming for such a long time involved.  It was reassuring to know my peers thought I did okay. Looking forward, commentary is something I would definitely consider at the end of my career.

From there I went to Canet in France with the rest of the open water team and I really enjoyed my time with them. It was a close-knit group, which is something I am not used to having been a part of large teams for so long.

The race. I was expecting to be a target and what a target I was!  Despite all the rough stuff out there, I was swimming well until the nine kilometre mark when my leg was pulled and a whole bunch of guys swam over the top of me, pushing me back in the field.

I was actually swimming fast enough that, had it have been in a pool, I would have been able to pass the guys who went over me. However, having to navigate my way through the pack was difficult, and my lack of experience probably hurt me a bit there.

I’m disappointed because I put a lot of effort into the event, but at the same time also made sure I didn’t sacrifice my chances in Beijing for it. I remained in training for my pool events right through the time I was in Europe and didn’t taper for the open water.

The fact I was only 3.6 seconds behind Ky Hurst, who finished 5th, showed how close the race was and how well I swam under the circumstances.

As I said, there was some rough stuff out there and I was dunked several times during the race. I thought justice was served when a Spanish competitor jumped on my shoulders and pushed me under water right before the finish line; giving the judges no option but to disqualify him.

As it turned out I too would get disqualified for swimming over people but compared to what was done to me by other competitors who didn’t get penalised, I was shocked.

After the race I was ecstatic for Ky. We have known each other since we were 10 years old and for him to achieve his dream of competing at the Olympics makes me happy. I will be proud to go to Beijing with him and I also think he is a huge medal chance.

The media attention when I got home was silly at best and ridiculous at its worst. That infamous photo was taken at the most untimely moment and I found the ensuing media reaction amusing more than anything else.

I think the images of me training the same week back in Australia let everyone know I hadn’t been over indulging. My skin folds are the lowest they have ever been and whilst I have never been ‘ripped’ I’m in great shape.  Distance swimmers also tend to carry a bit more weight than the buff sprinters.

Time is ticking and it’s back to the hard slog at home before the team heads off to the Olympic Staging Camp in Kuala Lumpur.

Grant

I’m glad to be home after what was a really good, but long, week at the Olympic Trials where I swam well in the 200m, 400m and 1500m freestyle events and claimed my place on the Olympic team.

People tend to think it’s a given that the top swimmers will qualify but it’s a one shot deal and if you miss out there are no second chances so to make the team again makes me feel extremely relieved.

I’m really excited to have qualified in the 1500m and to be having a crack at three in a row which is something no one has ever done in the event. I’m making sure I do everything correctly in the build up to that event to give myself a chance at creating history in Beijing.

I do love the 1500m and I love it because of the challenge it presents. I suppose it’s the pool equivalent of the 5000m run where you see the guy red faced and hurting trying to make it to the finish line. I have always loved the battle to make it to the finish.

In the 400m I was very happy with time I swam as it lets me know I can be very competitive at the Olympics, especially if I keep improving in the lead up to it.

As for the 200m  it was a real surprise to win it as I only wanted to be a part of the relay in Beijing and that’s what I will do. I always said I would rather finish fourth in a fast time than win in a slow one. To win in a fast one with the top nine guys going under the Olympic Qualifying time was a huge result for me and gave me plenty of confidence going into the other events.

I was really excited by the performances in general and the times. The only negative to the fast times that were swum was that we are now motivating the rest of the world to swim faster, especially the USA who, despite the times we swam, are still the real powerhouse in world swimming.

There has still been plenty of talk about the Speedo suits and while they are an unbelievable product the media has looked for a story and found it to a degree.  People are always surprised when they pick up the suits because they expect them to be heavy like a wetsuit but they are really light and thin.

I thought the best performances at the trials belonged to Eamon Sullivan, Libby Trickett and Steph Rice. There were a lot of others but those three stood out for me and Steph erasing the potentially tainted world record of YanYan Wu was a great moment in swimming. It’s always good to see records that were made by people who have taken performance enhancing drugs at some stage of their career disappear. Especially when they are beaten by someone who is totally against drugs in sport.

The Nick D’Arcy incident has been hard to deal with and thankfully I haven’t had much to do with it. We can speculate on what is going to happen but as it is the subject of a police investigation I believe people should refrain from commenting and let the police and then the AOC handle the decision-making and let the rest of the team focus on moving forward.

I am off to Europe next week in my attempt to qualify for the 10 kilometre Open Water event and that is my next big focus. I will leave with plenty of confidence in my ability to finish in the top 10 and qualify for the Beijing Games.

Grant

The NSW championships were a while ago now, but I have to say I was very happy with my form. I haven’t swum times like that for around three years. It was also a great weekend for Eamon Sullivan who not only broke the world record in the 50 metre freestyle but also broke the Australian record in the 100m freestyle with the third fastest time ever. Not a bad weekend for Eamon that one!

I also got to race for the first time in the new Speedo suit and it’s certainly the best one they have produced.

Having said that I really want to say the following: it is not the suit that is causing times to be lowered. It is the person in it improving with training and, while the suit is a technological advancement, it is not the reason for times being lowered. If you threw the suit in the pool I guarantee you it wouldn’t go anywhere!

The current suits are an example of the evolution of sport. And when you look at it there is a not a single sport that hasn’t used technological advancements in the past.

You don’t see Roger Federer using a wooden racket, he has the latest equipment. Lance Armstrong didn’t race on a 40 year old bike and Michael Jordan always had the newest most advanced shoes, not that they really helped me as a kid shooting hoops in the backyard.

The point is swimming should be no different and the suit is the furthest thing from cheating there is. The suits are legal within the sport so I honestly think the focus should be on the athletes.

Lately I have been keeping myself busy with training, albeit a much lighter load now as part of the tapering process, and I certainly have more energy than what I did a few weeks ago.

To give you an idea of the workload, when I am in full training I will swim 70-75 kilometres a week. Last week I did 35-40 kilometres so it is considerably less and it really gives me a lot more energy.

I did have the flu last week, which is always a struggle for me, because it usually leads to my asthma playing up. It’s certainly not something I want to have happen in Beijing with the air pollution there. Already one of the leading marathon contenders Haile Gebrselassie has dropped his event and my doctors are working on strategies to make sure I don’t have problems because of the air quality.

It really is a big help that the pool is indoors.

With the Olympic Trials on next weekend at Homebush I am starting to get excited. Homebush is a great facility and the pool is fast so I think there will be some good times produced.

My schedule is as follows.

Day 1 – 400m freestyle, Days 2/3 - 200m freestyle, Day 4 - 4x200m freestyle relay, Day 7 – 1500m freestyle heats, Day 8 1500m freestyle finals.

It’s a pretty full on schedule and I want to point out I am not going for a single swimmer spot in the 200m freestyle. I only want to finish top four for a spot on the relay team and would be happy for three other swimmers to be faster than me in that event. I expect Kenrick Monk to be the favourite.

I don’t know how many of you read ‘Wealth’ Magazine but I did a story for them which was in last month’s edition and they got all sorts of facts wrong, including my middle name (I don’t have one) but they said it was George. I just thought it was amusing.

Hacky

It’s now officially an Olympic year and I can just see the time from now until March flying like you wouldn’t believe, but I will give you a quick recap of what I have been up to first.

Christmas was great and I got to spend it with Candice and her family. I got plenty of nice presents including a wallet and clothes and was generally spoilt. No rest for the wicked though as I had to do a short training session on Christmas Day and was back into the hard stuff on Boxing Day.

New Years came and went and I had a great view of the fireworks from my apartment, which was sweet. It’s actually the first year I didn’t head back to the Gold Coast which turned out to be a blessing because I heard the weather was awful.

My brother and his family also graced us with their presence for a week and I really enjoyed catching up with them.

The Victorian State titles were held between the 4th and 8th of January. I competed in the 100, 200, 400 and 800 metre freestyle and the 4x100 and 4x200 metre freestyle relays. Overall it was a good meet for me. I pulled out some very good times and was named swimmer of the meet.

I did manage to head up to the Gold Coast for an Uncle Toby’s appearance where I had some fun on ’The Tornado‘ at Wet ‘n’Wild as well as have lunch with some competition winners at Sea World. Libby Lenton and Leisel Jones were there as well. They went swimming with the dolphins, while I hopped on a plane – lucky them. Swimming with dolphins is amazing and they are truly majestic creatures.

Candice and I attended the Australian Open men’s singles final and saw what was an entertaining match between Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Novak Djokovic. I felt a little bit sorry for Djokovic as the crowd was constantly on his back and that cannot have been easy.

I think it may have had a little bit to do with his on court demeanour and the way his interviews may have been perceived by some fans. It’s very easy to be misconstrued in your second language.

Having said that I really enjoyed seeing the final between two players who undoubtedly have huge futures in the game.

I saw the images of the swimming centre in Beijing and if the outside is anything to go by the inside will be spectacular. Swimming venues are always unique for major meets and this is no exception.

Some of my favourites have been the Barcelona Olympic pool, the Sydney Olympic pool, the Olympic pool in Athens and the pool they had built in Rod Laver Arena.

At the moment I am preparing for the Olympic trials and feel like I am on track to do well. There haven’t been many meets across the world this year, but I think when Olympic trials are held across the world we will know plenty about who is in form. While there will always be world records falling, for me this year is about winning.

Gold medals last a lifetime. World records always tumble.

Take care - Grant

Summer has finally arrived and despite not having had the chance to go surfing for a while, for me it always brings back memories of surfing the waves as a teenager up on the Gold Coast.

I miss going for a surf a lot, but with the effect training has on me I rarely have the energy to grab the board and head out for a good session. It doesn’t mean I don’t want to though.

I think what I enjoy the most about surfing is the adrenalin rush you get when you have a good ride, but also being out in the ocean away from everything. It’s calming in a way.

As I said, I grew up on the Goldy and I think it would have been a bit strange if I grew up there and didn’t surf. All my mates enjoyed a surf as well and our favourite breaks were always South Straddie, where we mostly surfed and just south of Burleigh, where there is a really awesome break.

In terms of my board I have always ridden a short board. I love making use of the maneuverability the short board has, rather than the long board, but I reckon surfing on a short board is harder.

Now that I am living down in Melbourne I‘ll have to try and get out to Bells for a surf, but right now I just haven’t got the time.

Check out this link where i have a wall of boards at my disposal http://granthackett.bigblog.com.au/gallery.do?type=detail&id=122282

I’m looking forward to Christmas with Candice’s family and hope you all enjoy yours.

Grant.

As you may or may not know I recently had two weeks away in sunny Queensland swimming at training camps in Noosa and Caloundra. It was good to have a change of scenery and to once again feel the Queensland sun on my shoulders; well at least until I got burnt on the first day.

A few of us were so keen on getting a tan we weren’t sun-smart and after a couple of days of pain, I vowed not to let that happen again. On the upside, after that I was sun smart and got the tan I was hoping for, along with most of the squad.

My training slowed right down at the back end of the two weeks as I prepared for my 10km swim at Penrith.

The lead up was certainly interesting with Craig Stevens commenting we may have to team up being the two pool swimmers in the group and Keiren Perkins saying something about how I should concentrate solely on the 1500m.

In regards to that comment, it would be nice to have everyone right behind me 100% but that rarely happens and people are entitled to their opinions. The bottom line is I wouldn’t be swimming the 10km open water event if it was going to affect me in the pool, which it doesn’t!The schedule at the Olympics means I have four days after the 1500m race to get ready for it. If it was before the 1500 I wouldn’t have considered it.

Open water swimming is something I have done since I was a kid and the chance to do it at an elite level is one which I have grabbed with two hands. It has also stimulated me and brought a new excitement and motivation to my training, which has also helped me in the pool.

In terms of the race day I kept to my regular routine. I like everything to be right on time on the day of a race. This includes allowing a certain amount of time to get into my Speedo suit, talking tactics with my coach, making sure my carbohydrate intake is at the level it needs to be and mentally preparing myself.

From there it was a case of swimming over to the start line, getting amongst the hustle and bustle and being able to position myself properly. People were out there trying to make breaks and while you can’t go away from your plan, you have to make sure they don’t get too far away and I think I held my position well.

The hardest part was the drink station where everyone would come in and be all over the top of each other. Managing that aspect of the race was pretty difficult.

By the last lap I was feeling very good and when Travis Nederpelt went to quicken the pace both Ky Hurst and I were able to go with him and eventually go past him. When the pace did lift I felt really confident I could get out in front and do well.

Winning the race is the first step; I now have to finish in the top ten in Seville in May in what is almost like an Olympic heat swim. If I do that I make the final 25 for the Olympics, but for now my focus is on the Olympic trials in March.

In response to a comment from Nathan I would like to say, make sure you enjoy your swimming at this stage. To do that at a young age is more important than anything. It’s great that you have a dream and want to chase that but you have to do it sensibly and build your training as you get older and are more likely to be racing competitively.

Grant

I’ve spent a good deal of my time training for the open water trials on December 8 at Penrith and I can’t wait to get in the water and attempt to qualify for the event.

I’m actually getting ready to head up to Queensland’s Sunshine Coast for a two week camp. The first week will be spent in Noosa, with the second week to be spent at Caloundra. I’m looking forward to it, not just for the extra sleep we get during camp, but also because for the first time in my life I have lost my tan. I’m not usually vain about anything, but I’m not really enjoying my new found pale skin. I need to train outdoors!

I was part of the Speedo photo shoot for their new range with Steph Rice, Libby Lenton and Jessicah Schipper. I also got a look at their new suit which I will wear at the Olympic trials and in Beijing.

It just reminded me how far we have come from the days when we thought the less material the better, to now where it is a case of the more body coverage the better. The suits have become more comfortable over time, and the comfort level of the new suit is better than any before. I’m especially lucky as I have mine tailored for my body.

I watched the World Cup meet in Sydney and Korean swimmer Park Tai-Wan to be very impressive in winning the 200, 400 and 1500 metre freestyle events, and then bettering his times in Berlin. He is really shaping as a key rival.

Speaking of great swimmers I was thrilled to see Libby Lenton win the Swimmer of the Year award. It was thoroughly deserved after her performance at the World Champs.

I think it’s great swimming is becoming more global. In the last five or six years we have seen plenty of very good swimmers come out of Japan and now Korea, as well as more European countries. In the past swimming was dominated by the USA, Australia, and a handful of European powerhouses.

With Beijing months away the team is coming along nicely, especially Eamon Sullivan who is proving to be a star. We won five individual golds in Athens as well as two relay golds and hopefully we might even improve on that effort in Beijing.

Take care - Grant

Candice and I moved apartments on the weekend and had a BBQ for our house-warming.

It was an enjoyable day and we didn’t cop the winds due to being positioned on the right side of the building. I can’t imagine Melbourne was fun for anyone with hay fever yesterday.

A couple of weeks ago I competed in my first practice for the open water event at Beijing, and was slightly surprised to win. I actually enjoyed the event a lot more than I thought I would.

Swimming in a pack was something different, as was swimming in the ocean. My next swim will be in the Olympic trials at Penrith on December 8. The event is being held at the rowing course in an attempt to simulate the conditions in Beijing, which will also be held on the Olympic rowing course.

I have also been invited to compete later in the month in the Express Glass Island Challenge, which is a 2.4km swim from Coogee Beach around Wedding Cake Island and back. It is the official first open water swim of the summer in NSW. Unfortunately I cannot make this event as I will be in heavy training at the time. However I am very grateful for the support out there in the community as I pursue new and exciting goals for my swimming.
 
The biggest story in swimming has been Elka Graham’s revelation she was offered performance enhancing drugs.

I am sure that when Elka first raised this issue, she had very little understanding of the impact or the consequences of her words. Elka is a friend of mine. I honestly think she was trying to provide some personal insight in to her life as an international swimmer. From her point of view I can understand her, particularly as a new member of the press, not wanting to formally names names and embarrass the reputation of the alleged culprit. In short, she does not want to be a “dobber”.

My issue centres on the fact that Elka did reveal that the person who offered drugs was from the swimming community. This saddens me greatly. Swimming in this country has enjoyed a well deserved reputation for being clean and transparent in all of its practices and processes.

There has been a chorus of swimmers who have publicly requested Elka to name names or to assist the appropriate drug authorities to at least shed further light on her claims. Elka must sympathise with all swimmers who have conducted themselves with integrity and deserve to be acknowledged for their genuine effort and sacrifice over a number of years. There are many good people who quite rightly feel uncomfortable or even smeared due to the vagueness of Elka’s comments.

On a brighter note I have the swimmer of the year awards in Sydney this weekend and am up for a couple, including middle distance swimmer and short course swimmer. I also have to make a speech as team captain. I’m sure it will be a good night.

Grant

I had a bit of a break recently when I went to the Gold Coast, but there was still plenty to do with sponsor commitments and the like.

I was looking forward to it, but as is always the case when you haven’t been sick for ages, you inevitably fall ill on holidays, which I did.

After that I was off to the AIS for a relay camp. They recently spent millions of dollars on the pool and it now one of the most technologically advanced centres in the world, including cameras which take shots from 360 degrees.

We went to the camp to work on our changeovers and really got something out of it which will help us match it with the US relay teams. They have practice every week through their NCAA swim meets and the like, whereas we get together 2-3 times at most before a big event.

You can lose up to one second on bad changeovers, which is why it is key to get it right, and after the camp I really feel I improved on my entry and timing.

But it wasn’t all work, if you look at my MMS you can see we had a bit of table tennis going on. The three to beat in the squad are Ashley Delaney, Eamon Sullivan and Pat Murphy.

I’ve come back to Melbourne and got back into training and am continuing to swim well. It’s funny how routine life becomes, and how much time I spend wrapping myself in cotton wool and on a physio’s table getting massages.

While you may think that sounds like fun, they aren’t really the relaxing type and I frequently end up with elbows being pushed hard in uncomfortable positions.

Training is unglorified but I know through putting in 70-80km a week I am driving myself back to the top the correct way. However, I know I couldn’t do it without the help of friends and family, especially Candice.

Obviously other people do it differently, and in the wake of Marion Jones’ confessions this week I think she should be stripped of her medals and they should go to the woman who finished second.

The focus now shifts to Beijing and I don’t think those games will be any dirtier than any in the past. Some cheats will get caught, they always do. But I don’t think there will be more drug use.

I was happy with the way I swam at the National Short Course; I was more tapered than in Japan and it showed.

I had seven starts for six gold and one silver, and in that race I pulled out my second best time ever for the event. The 200m freestyle is really a bonus event for me, and while I want to be a part of the relay in Beijing, I won’t swim it as an individual.

We actually smashed the short course world record by 3.7 seconds and the team we took it off were no slouches: Thorpey, Bill Kirby, Michael Klim and myself.

I thought some of the more impressive swimmers at the meet were Matthew Targett, Matt Welsh (who continues to be so dominant in short course due to his amazing skill level), Andrew Lauterstein, Liesel Jones and Libby Lenton who helped lead the women’s 4x100m relay team to a world record.

Kenrick Monk has continued to improve and if the World Champs were on again right now he would be a real medal contender; looking to Beijing I am excited for him and the team as a whole.

In a lot of ways Beijing will give me the chance to really show I am not a spent force or anything like it, and while it is frustrating to be reminded of the World Champs at every turn, I can’t do anything about it. People will write what they want to write and it gives the media a different spin on a story, so essentially it is up to them.

But in terms of my career I will continue to use it as motivation and I can honestly say I am proud of the way I have turned things around since then.

At present I am back in Queensland, and was initially dismayed to find it was raining, but the sun has come out and Candice and I are enjoying the last holiday we will likely have before I go to the Olympic Games.

I enjoyed seeing my nephew for the second time, the last time I did he was just five days old, they grow so fast at his age. I was also able to shoot an Uncle Tobys’ ad, which was gruelling. I ran and cycled for what felt like an eternity and was happy to jump back in the pool. The ad is much more serious than others I have done in the past and I reckon it will be a really good campaign.

The big news for me is that I was nominated to be an athlete’s delegate on the International Olympic Committee. All 10500 athletes at the games vote and only a few are chosen. It would be a huge honour for me to have a say in things and rub shoulders with the likes of Jacques Rogge.

It would give me a chance to give something back and as a result I will be campaigning heavily when I am not on the pool deck in Beijing.

Grant.

I had a great time in Kuala Lumpur, then Japan. We stayed in a sweet hotel in KL and were able to train at the same complex used for the Commonwealth Games in 1998, which brought back some fond memories for me.

Japan was an amazing experience; it always is, swimmers are really respected there and I was happy with my performance. I beat a field in the 1500m that will probably be the best assembled before the Olympics and from that I take a lot of confidence but also know I must continue to improve. I was a little disappointed in losing the 400m but I know I am on track there.

Looking back at the evolution of 1500m times over the past few years it’s possible someone will go sub-15 minutes in Beijing and not make the final! A few years ago that would have been unthinkable. In 2000 only 10 swimmers had swum sub-15 minute times for the event.

We have come a long way since Vladimir Salnikov first broke the barrier in 1980. Having said that I think the world record might be safer in the final, because the guys might be spent having to qualify so fast, but the great thing about the Olympics is you never know what will happen; there have been so many inspirational performances over time.

Japan wasn’t just a great experience for me. The rest of the team performed exceptionally well and I think things are looking very promising heading to Beijing. The guys have come a long way and Cate Campbell showed that at just 15 she is a huge talent who can only get better. Her win in the 50m freestyle was remarkable.

Speaking of remarkable events, I think it’s fair to say Andrew Mewing and I could be classed as “elite sleepers” given that one night in Japan an earthquake measuring 5 on the Richter scale was recorded, yet we both slept right through it. We only found out about it next morning at breakfast!

Tokyo is a great place and it was disappointing I only got to sample the city a little bit, but I would recommend it to anyone. The Japanese people are polite and helpful, and the city itself is a beautiful, sprawling metropolis.

As I write this I find myself yawning, but also attempting to be ready for the National Short Course starting tomorrow. I’m entered in the 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m freestyle and the 4x200m freestyle relay.

I kick off tomorrow with the 800m and then the 200m. The 200m is going to be difficult as I have to take on Kenrick Monk who is looking like being a superstar of the future; his times keep coming down and if he stays healthy and continues to improve at the current rate then he is a chance to win an individual medal in Beijing.

After that I’m looking forward to heading up to the Gold Coast for a little bit of down time that will be split between the pool, the beach and my four-month-old nephew who I have only met once.

Hacky

I go away to KL on Saturday and then to Japan with a fairly large Aussie swim team for a major meet. The idea, as I have mentioned before, is to get us acclimatised for Beijing or in this case Japan, but ultimately it is about preparing ourselves.

I’m excited about the trip and I would say 70% of the team who are going will be there in Beijing. There are some notable omissions such as Matt Welsh, Jodie Henry and Alice Mills, but I’m sure they will be ready when the time comes.

Kuala Lumpur is humid, but being a Queensland boy living in Melbourne I do miss the heat a bit, so this trip will be good for me. I also want to see how the place has changed in the past 10 years since the Comm Games. The city is beautiful, but there were also many poorer areas, and I hope the living conditions for those people have improved.

This meet is a good chance for some of the younger swimmers on the team to make their mark on the sport and I’m sure many will continue to improve.

My goals are to improve on the times I did at Mare Nostrum. I actually want to take a big chunk out of those times and continue to show I can be a force. And to do that in Japan, where the fan base and the support we receive is second only to Australia, would be awesome.

From Japan it’s a short hop to China and it’s not long now till the Beijing games. I remember telling some of the guys the Olympics would come around quickly after the World Champs, and they are, with less than a year to the opening ceremony.

People ask about the 1500 and the fact that no one has won gold three times in a row, and I want to say it doesn’t worry me. When I’m on the blocks I’m not going to be thinking ‘no one else has done it what makes me different’?

The second you start thinking about that sort of thing is when you actually stop enjoying the Olympics, which is certainly not what it is about. I’ve been to Olympics where it has been stressful and I don’t want it to be. What I want is to be able to go over there without pressure, execute my stroke to 100% of my ability and do the best I can, and if it’s not good enough then I will be a sportsman and shake the winner’s hand.

I will make sure I’m in the best position I can possibly be in for the event and will go in as the underdog, given I am not world champion. The underdog role is one I am looking forward to!

I heard there was a picture of me in a Sydney paper biting a gold medal, and they don’t taste that great. Although Olympic gold is always sweeter, Olympic medals are things of beauty, and I feel privileged to have won so many, especially when some guys can be at the top of their sport and go a whole career without winning one or even an elusive gold.

Honestly they could look like a five cent piece and I would think they are gorgeous.

From the good to the bad – drugs are in the headlines yet again, and I personally can’t wait for the day when sport is drug free. Hopefully it will happen one day and I hope when my in pool career ends I can continue speaking out against drugs.

The biggest problem is that drugs have to be developed to allow people to test for them and that is a lengthy process. EPO was around for 15-20 years before there was a test for it.

I can’t abide by drug use. I’m sure users justify it in their own minds, but surely the success would be that much sweeter if it is earned without them. I know this is a very Australian stance on the issue, but it’s one I feel strongly about. Drugs have no place in sport.

Monika – thanks for the comment all the way from Poland and the support. I’m also happy you “love” Candice’s music – I’ll pass it on.

I’ll post again when I return from Japan - Grant

I can’t say there has been much happening, well not much that is too exciting anyway.

I swam in the Victorian Short Course, and it appears that all my training is continuing to pay dividends. I swam well, especially in the 800m freestyle and the 400m freestyle, where my time of 3:39 was among some of the better times of this year.

I guess the big news of the week for me was being quoted as being “disgusted” at my performance at the World Champs. I probably used too strong a word, but I certainly was dissatisfied with my performance. The further I get away from it, the more disappointing I realise it was. All I ever ask is to get the best out of myself. At those championships I probably didn’t.

Moving forward I have committed to swimming the 10km open water event in Beijing. It’s not going to take my focus away from the pool events, but is something I have elected to challenge myself with.

Being four days after the 1500m it fits in perfectly with my program. My goal is to be competitive, and I think I can be, my training schedule is similar to that of an open-water swimmer, and my good mate Ky Hurst has already started giving me tips.

The event will be held in the rowing course, which means pollution shouldn’t be a worry. The man to beat is Christian Hein, the current world champion from Russia. I hope my 10 years of surf lifesaving comes in handy.

Out of the pool I was in Sydney for a promotional launch. Uncle Toby’s has formed a partnership with the Australian Olympic Committee, so I went to Andrew ‘Boy’ Charlton pool for that, then to the Nestle offices to meet and greet the staff. They were great and made me feel welcome.

In sport it’s good to see the Brisbane Lions doing well. They may need to win every game, but I wouldn’t write them off just yet. Especially if Jonathan Brown and Jared Brennan keep kicking goals. Who knows they might even be the value bet for the flag.

Take care - Grant