Kazan is just around the corner now Chad, how are you feeling?
I’m really excited about Kazan! My team and I have worked really hard and I feel it will be a good Championships for us.
Your focus during the competition…
My main focus will be the 100m and 200m fly, where I will try to win both events. I will also swim the 50m fly which will be a test event prior to the 100m. I will also compete in the 200m freestyle, where my aim is to simply swim fast and come away with a medal. I think I will go in to the championships telling myself to try and win as much as I can. Every race will be tough for me, the heats, semis and finals. It’s not like Mare Nostrum, where you can just swim easy in the morning and compete in 3 or 4 races, instead you can swim up to 12 races, meaning you must be mentally prepared and ready to go each time you step up on the blocks.
Approaching the 200m Freestyle…
I will approach the 200m free as I approach every race, to try and win For me it will be slightly more difficult as it is not my natural stroke but I think the most difficult thing will be to make the final, but if I can make that, then I stand a chance of winning. I’m not the greatest morning person you see, so it will be the heats and semis that will prove difficult. There are many guys in the 200m freestyle that are capable of winning, so the race will be left wide open. I would just love to be among the medalists.
You mention the men but what about the ladies, who are the ones to watch in Kazan?
Katinka has had a great two and a half years, so she will be excited to get close to the world records I think. Sarah Sjostrom has also had an amazing time of late, she swam 24:69 in the 50m fly in Eindhoven, that was impressive!
I feel those two will be the two stand female performers in Kazan, but it will be interesting all round, as there are a lot of young swimmers coming through that could create a few upsets.
As a fellow flyer, what stands out in Sarah Sjostrom’s technique that you like?
Yes sure, she has a really good tempo. I remember watching her in 2009, where it was both our first World Championships, we were just 16/17 years old. She broke the record in the 100m fly final, in a time of 56:06, which was just unbelievable. J
She’s a great champion and hopefully she will continue to be…
We look forward to seeing Chad and the rest of the Elite Team in Kazan.
“Kazan, a mixture of swimming and flolklore”: find out more about the city!
—————