August 01, 2008	Friday	Rajab 28, 1429

KUALA LUMPUR, July 31: The Beijing Olympics will be the fastest and toughest yet in the pool with more countries challenging for medals than ever before, according to the head coach of Australia’s swimming team.

Alan Thompson said huge changes in world swimming would make the battle for Olympic medals fiercer than at any other Games and the United States and Australia would not get an easy ride.

“I think it’s going to be the fastest ever — it’ll be the toughest to make the semis, the toughest to make the finals and the toughest to win,” Thompson told reporters on Thursday at the team’s training base.

“Whether that’ll result in world records all the time or world records in the finals we’ll have to see what happens but it’ll be tough.

“Every facet will be tough, the depth in world swimming is huge and it won’t be a two-horse race, it won’t be just Australia and the United States, definitely not.”

Thompson, who leads a team with world record holders in nine Olympic events, said countries like Britain and Japan had made huge strides and were also in contention.

“They have performed very solidly with great depth,” he added. “They only need to make small conversions from finals to medals and minor medals to major medals. There’s been a major change in the shift in world swimming.”

The Australians are happy with their preparations and have been warned that any lapses in concentration during the gruelling nine-day contest could cost them medals.

Australia won 15 at the last Games in Athens four years ago, finishing second behind the US, who captured 28.

“It’s going to be a real tough games and the people who maintain their focus on their job will be the successful ones,” Thompson stated.

“They’re all going to be good swimmers, fast swimmers, fit swimmers. The winners will be the ones who can maintain that focus, over nine days now.

“Every race is over three days, if you have mental weaknesses, it’ll be difficult to do that.”

—Reuters