Liam Tancock Interview

This article was written for ATW by Laura Dale from Paper & Ink PR

World champion and Olympic swimmer Liam Tancock is hotly tipped as a medal winner at this year's 2012 Games. The 27 year old from Exeter, who trains at Loughborough University, is more focused and determined than ever. He's even upped his intensive regime by adding ballet, kick-boxing and rock climbing to his usual pool and gym work outs.

Active Training World snatched a few moments of his down time for a quick Q and A

Can British swimmers win medals at this year’s Olympics?

You never know what might happen in the pool, as the world of elite swimming can be separated by margins as small as 100^thof a second. We have all trained hard and put in the work over the years, both in and out the pool – I'm dedicated to making myself faster and pushing my body to the limits each and every day in training to help me succeed.

What does it mean to you to compete in the Olympics on home turf?

Having the chance to compete in the Olympics at home is a dream come true for me and a once in a lifetime opportunity. I’m working really hard with my team to be ready for the Games this summer and I can’t wait to compete against the best athletes in the world.

What’s your ultimate swimming related goal?

To swim the fastest that I ever have before at the Olympics and beat my personal best. To do that in front of a home crowd would just top it all.

Do you feel extra pressure being hailed as one of the most likely British Olympic medal winners?

Not at all, I know that all I can do is my best and I can guarantee that I always give 100 per cent. To me swimming is something that I get great pleasure out of and I get excited about the prospect of racing the best in the world.

What does an average week’s training involve?

I train over 30 hours a week, but it’s more like 24/7 as everything I do is to prepare me to swim my best at the Olympics. Obviously we train a lot in the water but we also do a lot of work in the gym and cross training which has included Pilates, ballet, rock climbing, cycling, running, and gymnastics. I like to look at people in different sports and discover what attributes make them good, Ballet dancers have a strong core, they're very aware of their hand and feet placement and we need that in the pool. Kick-boxing is about control, power and strength and explosive movements.

ATW wishes Liam Tancock all the very best at the Olympics. You can follow Liam on twitter @Liam Tancock or visit www.LiamTancock.com