SYDNEY: Grant Hackett’s world short course record in the 800-metres freestyle backed up fast times in training ahead of his bid for a third consecutive 1500m freestyle gold medal in Beijing, reports said Monday.
The 28-year-old Australian clocked seven minutes 23.42 seconds in the 800m at the Victorian short course championships in Melbourne on Sunday, slicing 1.86 seconds off the world record he set in Perth in August 2001. Only 24 hours earlier, Hackett signalled the type of form he was in by producing a time of 3:35.16 in the 400m freestyle at the same meet, just 0.58secs outside his 2002 world record.
Hackett’s coach, Ian Pope, said his performance was not unexpected, and they had targeted both those world records before the weekend event. “We knew he’d be right on the mark,” Pope said.
“Our intentions were to go that fast this weekend and leading into this we wanted to go after those sorts of times,” Pope added.
“We knew what we had done in training, and every race he’s done all the way along in this preparation has been fast.” He did a 7.48 (in the longcourse 800m) a couple of weeks ago at a low-key meet; he did well at the grand prix (in Sydney) and he’s just raced fast all the way through.
If Hackett succeeds in winning his third Olympic gold medal in the 1500m event he will be the first man in 104 years to win the same swimming event in three consecutive Games. Pope said Hackett’s fast times were shoring up the swimmer’s confidence ahead of the challenges he faces at the ‘Water Cube’ in Beijing next month.
“The way he did it was very impressive and will certainly build his confidence. He’s in hard training, he’s tired and it certainly was very good leading into the Olympics.
“He’s swimming as fast as he has ever swum, and even the 800m we did a couple of weeks ago (long course), was the fastest time in the world in the last three years.
“He’s had the best preparation, we’ve stayed consistent, he hasn’t been sick, he’s been healthy all the way through, and it’s all very positive.”
Hackett and Pope, along with his other two Olympic charges, Travis Nederpelt and Matt Targett, left late Sunday for a week’s camp in Singapore. They will join the rest of the Australian team in their pre-Games buildup in Kuala Lumpur from next weekend. “I’ll have my three guys going, and a sports scientist coming with me so we can iron out anything that comes up,” Pope said.
“We’ll spend the week recovering after this weekend’s racing, and then start tapering at the back end of the week.” Hackett begins his Olympic campaign with the heats of the 400m freestyle on August 9.
He will tackle the 1500m on the ninth and final day of the swimming events.
