‘My decision to train in the USA rather than Europe!’ – Lotte Friis

Lotte Friis’ swimming journey started in her native Denmark, took in a stint in France and is now anchored in the United States where she will remain with the 2016 Olympics less than a year away.

The 27-year-old distance swimmer had always trained in her native Danish homeland until autumn 2012 when she announced she would be moving to Nice to train under Fabrice Pellerin.

Lotte had enjoyed a lot of success since her first medal at the 2004 European Short-Course Championships where she won silver in the 800m freestyle aged just 16.

She went on to win 800m Olympic bronze in Beijing in 2008 as well as two world and two European titles

However, she finished outside the medals at the 2012 Olympics and later that year revealed her switch to France where she would train alongside 400m freestyle Olympic champion Camille Muffat, who tragically died in a helicopter accident earlier this year.

It was a move that bore fruit with 800m and 1500m silver at the Barcelona World Championships the following year.

Weeks later it was revealed she would move to the United States to train under Bob Bowman – the man who guided Michael Phelps to 22 Olympic medals – at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club (NBAC).

Lotte finished without a medal at the 2014 European Championships and in Kazan this year but she plans to stay in Baltimore – although Bowman himself has moved to Arizona.

Looking back on her different training bases, Lotte said: “I’ve been around.

“Every place I’ve had has had advantages and disadvantages. I feel like Denmark was one end of the spectrum and France was at the other and I feel like the United States is in between and that is what I need now at this point of my career.

“I mean volume, land training, the mental approach to the training and competition, the social outside swimming as well.

“There are a lot of factors that affect my decision to stay in Baltimore.

“I am going to stay in Baltimore and keep training with Eric Posegay who has been training for me the last four, five, six months.”

Lotte paid her own tribute in Kazan to former training partner Muffat, the nail on her left little finger painted red and black and bearing a large letter C.

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