:00:24. > :00:27.If you are a British swimmer and you have aspirations of competing
:00:27. > :00:33.in the Olympic Games, this could be the most important week of your
:00:33. > :00:38.life. Welcome to the Aquatics Centre, here in Olympic Park, and
:00:38. > :00:42.welcome to the start of the British Olympic trials.
:00:42. > :00:47.Dreams will become reality, one way or the other, under this
:00:47. > :00:51.spectacular roof. Competing in this venue is something that the
:00:51. > :00:55.swimmers will want to repeat. Fail to perform over the next few days,
:00:55. > :01:01.and there is the possibility they will not be coming back. Starting
:01:01. > :01:05.this evening we will be bringing you all of the action from both our
:01:05. > :01:09.able bodies and Paralympic swimmers. Next Saturday we will be showing
:01:09. > :01:15.the highlights from the weak and running up who will and will not
:01:15. > :01:20.have secured their place. This is very exciting because we have been
:01:20. > :01:25.given exclusive access at the British swimmers get their first
:01:25. > :01:32.taste up the water in the Olympic pool. How important is this week
:01:32. > :01:41.for the swimmers? Really important. If they do not come in they do not
:01:41. > :01:47.go. There are only two places up for grabs in most events. It is one
:01:47. > :01:52.of these things that if you make a false start you are out. You have
:01:52. > :01:56.to qualify. Even Rebecca Adlington has to qualify. This is when they
:01:56. > :02:01.find out what kind of shape they are in. You would be more nervous
:02:01. > :02:07.for this than the Olympics, in a sense? A bit of both. You will be
:02:07. > :02:11.pretty nervous for this. You have to get those qualifying times. The
:02:11. > :02:16.competition has gone so high that it means we have three or four
:02:16. > :02:23.world-class swimmers competing for just two places. How do these
:02:23. > :02:29.trials were? There are qualifying times set up by FINA. If one person
:02:29. > :02:33.does not qualify it then the second person has to come in the top 16.
:02:33. > :02:40.If only one person does it, they will have another chance at the
:02:40. > :02:44.second qualification. Here are some of the key names.
:02:45. > :02:49.She might be Britain's most successful Olympic swimmer for over
:02:49. > :02:55.100 years, but our Rebecca has double fight just like everyone
:02:55. > :03:05.else. I just want to have a chance to go. Everyone wants that
:03:05. > :03:05.
:03:05. > :03:09.opportunity. She has won it so many awards. She pocketed five medals at
:03:09. > :03:15.the European championships, but they just go how Sol would train
:03:15. > :03:21.them all for a piece of Olympic glory. Liam Tancock has to go
:03:21. > :03:25.double his distance. He is focusing on gaining a second, not silver.
:03:25. > :03:32.your best bet you a medal and a position, that is a bonus for you.
:03:32. > :03:37.-- if you best. Kerri-Anne Payne has not got her head in the clouds.
:03:37. > :03:44.Where better to start than with the golden girl from Beijing? Since
:03:44. > :03:52.2008, it has not exactly been plain sailing for Rebecca Adlington. But
:03:52. > :03:59.she is determined to return to the top in this very pool. Stunning
:03:59. > :04:03.stuff from Adams and! Two gold medals, world champion! -- stunning
:04:03. > :04:09.stuff from Rebecca Adlington. Rebecca Adlington, stand up and
:04:09. > :04:17.salute the world. You are brilliant! 2011 was a really good
:04:17. > :04:21.year. There is a lot of pressure going into the Games. Yes,
:04:21. > :04:25.definitely. There is always pressure leading into the Games. I
:04:26. > :04:30.am just more excited. I am really looking forward to it and I just
:04:30. > :04:37.hope that they qualify. That is the biggest thing. I want to have a
:04:37. > :04:41.chance to go and race. Everyone wants that opportunity and everyone
:04:41. > :04:49.wants to fight for that. Hopefully I can go and experience a home
:04:49. > :04:54.Olympics. What more do you want? What have you learnt from Beijing?
:04:54. > :05:03.Are I would not change one thing. I have no regrets. I have learned so
:05:03. > :05:08.much. It has made me stronger. I had the opportunity to do things I
:05:08. > :05:12.never got to do before or after Beijing. I wanted to get into the
:05:12. > :05:16.pool and try out things that went well for me or did not go so well.
:05:16. > :05:23.I have come out and been disappointed but I have tried to
:05:23. > :05:29.practise as much as I have -- can. It has made me stronger. You have
:05:29. > :05:34.to do the qualifying times. Are you generally worried? Do you feel that
:05:34. > :05:40.one of those places are yours? These are very tough events. I am
:05:40. > :05:44.not stupid. I know people will want to beat me. You have to do it on
:05:44. > :05:50.the day. If you get sick the day before or fall over, you will have
:05:50. > :05:56.a top race on your hands. You only have one chance to do it and that
:05:56. > :06:00.is scary. There are only two spots and there are some amazing girls
:06:00. > :06:05.there and I know it will be a challenge. What makes the home
:06:05. > :06:10.advantage so special? It is the home crowd. I have never competed
:06:10. > :06:16.for a big home crowd before. I had then to Rome and they all greet me
:06:16. > :06:22.and you have that experience and it is amazing but it has never been
:06:22. > :06:30.thought Team GB. This trial is for us and it will be amazing to have
:06:30. > :06:35.the big crowd. To have that is the most exciting thing. When everyone
:06:35. > :06:45.is cheering for you you feel the buzz and it gives you that little
:06:45. > :06:48.
:06:48. > :06:53.bit extra. It is great to see Rebecca Adlington looking so great.
:06:53. > :07:01.It is the most confident I have seen her for a long time. She put a
:07:01. > :07:04.month out in California. She is a totally different swimmer now.
:07:04. > :07:12.is she being genuine when she says that she has not qualified yet, or
:07:12. > :07:17.is she wearing the cloak of humility? I personally think, I can
:07:17. > :07:22.say that to be the world record holder, you are not nailed on, but
:07:22. > :07:27.that is just the way she is. That is the reason why she wins. She is
:07:27. > :07:34.it not be a full and that makes her perform better. He is seemingly
:07:34. > :07:39.rising to the idea of being the Mark 1. -- she is seemingly rising.
:07:39. > :07:48.It is not easy to get to the top. It is easier to get there than to
:07:48. > :07:51.state their. Everyone is coming for her. -- to stay there. She is going
:07:51. > :07:57.into this from the European Commonwealth championship and we on
:07:57. > :08:02.know that she is in great form. talked about the way her fans spur
:08:02. > :08:06.her aunt, but it is also important for her to get familiar with the
:08:06. > :08:11.surroundings. You have to feel good in that pool. To know that the
:08:11. > :08:16.crowd is behind you is fantastic. It is also the simple things. Being
:08:16. > :08:25.able to get a bar of chocolate or go to bed at a normal time. The
:08:25. > :08:28.weather conditions are exactly the same. It is just the home converts.
:08:28. > :08:32.People will get an opportunity to race this weekend and do some
:08:32. > :08:38.training before the Olympics. It sounds stupid, but you want to know
:08:38. > :08:42.where the toilets are. It will be a home away from home. Sheffield
:08:42. > :08:49.wants to come in here and relax. There is nothing else to worry
:08:49. > :08:57.about but the race itself. Rebecca has still is very young. She was
:08:57. > :09:01.only in 19 in Beijing. It is not a certainty that she will qualify.
:09:01. > :09:07.But back that will be competing in the 300 metre freestyle tomorrow
:09:07. > :09:15.morning and Andy 800 metre freestyle on a Friday morning. --
:09:15. > :09:24.Friday evening. Look out for Joe Jackson in those races as well.
:09:24. > :09:28.Rebecca is not the only British, Canada in that team. -- British
:09:28. > :09:34.competitor in that team. One swimmer has had a chronic fatigue
:09:34. > :09:41.disorder which ruled him out for a crucial six weeks in 2011. His
:09:41. > :09:47.place at the Olympic Games is far from guaranteed.
:09:47. > :09:53.I always turn up to the pool each day and I would not be able to swim.
:09:53. > :09:58.It was that bad. I was really lethargic. I was very down with it.
:09:58. > :10:03.I was unhappy and I was training poorly. I would try and try harder
:10:03. > :10:07.and that would make it even worse and make it more miserable. It was
:10:08. > :10:14.a vicious circle. I failed to admit that I had the disorder because I
:10:14. > :10:18.did not want to accept it. I felt really bad in training. I knew
:10:18. > :10:25.something was up and I was going through different casts and hoping
:10:25. > :10:31.that maybe I picked up an illness and there was a quick fix. --
:10:31. > :10:35.different tests. My muscles were completely shot. I could not do
:10:35. > :10:41.anything to progress. The best thing to cure it was to clean the
:10:41. > :10:46.slate and start from scratch and have a big six-week break. I
:10:46. > :10:52.questioned whether I had had my time. I do not want to go out like
:10:52. > :10:56.that. I wondered if I should walk away. I knew I could resolve it. I
:10:56. > :11:01.am not quite back to my best yet, but if I can get back into the
:11:01. > :11:06.game's and get back to that sort of level, the main thing is to keep
:11:06. > :11:09.the enjoyment and the motivation and the hunger. I cannot forget
:11:09. > :11:17.that I have had success in the past and there is no reason why you
:11:17. > :11:21.cannot do it again. Poor David. Lots of people will have no idea
:11:22. > :11:27.that he has had such a tough time. Did you ever have a time in your
:11:27. > :11:31.career when you thought everything was going wrong? I had a virus in
:11:31. > :11:35.1979. The problem with things like that is that it is not just a
:11:35. > :11:40.simple diagnosis. You do not know what it is and your confidence
:11:40. > :11:46.rarely get knocked when you should be feeling good about yourself. --
:11:46. > :11:53.really get knocked. Just training and doing it year after year, when
:11:53. > :12:01.he was 18... It was a long time ago. I think he painted in China, didn't
:12:01. > :12:07.he? He looked very badly. -- I think he fainted. He is doing over
:12:07. > :12:11.100 kilometres a week. You will get run down. The worst thing is that
:12:11. > :12:18.you know something is wrong with you and you do not know what. You
:12:18. > :12:23.start thinking about retiring, and that must have been scary for him.
:12:24. > :12:29.He is a young guy, 27 years old. How realistic is it for him to
:12:29. > :12:39.expect to qualify and perform at the Olympics? I think he will
:12:39. > :12:40.
:12:40. > :12:44.qualify. He has got to qualify here. He has other opportunities later.
:12:44. > :12:51.If he concentrates in the open water and get back to his best, we
:12:51. > :12:57.could see silver or bronze. -- gets back to his best. He has to pick
:12:57. > :13:03.one or the other. That will be taking place, the open water, in
:13:03. > :13:10.Hyde Park. David will be competing in the 1,500 metres a week from
:13:10. > :13:14.today. He will be competing against Daniel Fogg. Daniel is not old
:13:14. > :13:21.enough to drink but he will be competing next week. Tom Daley was
:13:21. > :13:24.here last week with the other British diverse.
:13:24. > :13:28.The venue passed with flying colours, but Tom Daley's
:13:28. > :13:34.disappointing performance on the platform was put in the spotlight
:13:35. > :13:39.after comments made by his performance director. However, his
:13:39. > :13:44.partner Pete what appealed died out of his skin in the individual 10
:13:44. > :13:49.metre event, and claimed as a magnificent bronze against a world
:13:49. > :13:55.class field. More success came and the women's platform
:13:55. > :14:04.synchronisation, where there was a well earned a bronze. British
:14:04. > :14:11.diving is an excellent -- is in excellent health. If I was to say
:14:11. > :14:17.to you, name me a swimmer on the cusp of greatness, you would say?
:14:17. > :14:23.Francesca Halsall. I think she is a national -- natural sprinter. She
:14:23. > :14:29.is recovering from an ankle injury. She has a huge personality. We have
:14:29. > :14:36.been finding out more. Is it going to be silver? That is
:14:36. > :14:46.brilliant. She heads down. It is going to be mighty close. She has
:14:46. > :14:47.
:14:47. > :14:52.it. You have got to think that you can do anything if you want to win.
:14:52. > :14:58.I do not take it for granted that I will win but I feel that if I put
:14:58. > :15:03.in my head that maybe I will not then I am more likely not to you.
:15:03. > :15:08.When I think of different athletes involved in the sport, I think of
:15:08. > :15:12.the home advantage, and 20,000 people screaming. I think that is
:15:12. > :15:18.probably going to work for you more than anyone. I cannot wait for it.
:15:18. > :15:24.It is definitely going to let me to higher levels. When we went in the
:15:24. > :15:32.pool in Manchester in 2009, I came out and there were all of these
:15:32. > :15:38.people cheering. I had goose bumps. I stacked my break out and I have
:15:38. > :15:44.never done that before. Someone told me it was the best break out
:15:44. > :15:48.they had ever seen and I told them that I was just over excited!
:15:48. > :15:56.do you think it will be like for your parents watching? How nervous
:15:56. > :16:01.will they be? My mum is lucky I do not swim a further distance. She
:16:01. > :16:09.holds her breath for my whole swam. She might be passed out by the end
:16:09. > :16:14.of it! Quite a lot of people go around saying that they want to do
:16:14. > :16:19.their best and whatever happens happens and a medal would be good,
:16:19. > :16:24.but I do not really understand that. If I do not win a gold medal I will
:16:24. > :16:29.not be happy. I might come second but you want to win a race, don't
:16:29. > :16:36.you? That is why you do the hardest event you can do because it is so
:16:36. > :16:46.close. It shows you the basses person in the world. If you can win
:16:46. > :16:51.
:16:51. > :16:56.it in his fantastic. -- the Bath What is a breakout? It is when you
:16:56. > :17:01.take your first stroke and break through the surface. So is she
:17:01. > :17:06.getting better technically? Absolutely. She is a much more
:17:06. > :17:15.mature swimmer. She has got vast experience in all the major
:17:15. > :17:25.competitions. Come out into the crowd and hearing it. How many
:17:25. > :17:25.
:17:25. > :17:35.events can she do? Three individual and then two relay. The toughest
:17:35. > :17:41.
:17:41. > :17:48.want to qualify will be the 100- metre flying -- fly. Yes, she could
:17:48. > :17:58.potentially not qualify for those because she has so much competition.
:17:58. > :18:12.
:18:12. > :18:18.You can see all of them in the Coming up. The man they call the
:18:18. > :18:22.tide shows his feminine side. You might have seen her face adoring
:18:22. > :18:30.billboards for make-up companies, but open-water swimming is anything
:18:30. > :18:40.but glamourous. We catch up with Keri-Anne Payne. You might think
:18:40. > :18:41.
:18:41. > :18:51.that Liam Tancock would be a certainty for a medal. No, he has
:18:51. > :18:54.
:18:54. > :19:04.got to work to get there. He is hugely talented. We caught up with
:19:04. > :19:06.
:19:06. > :19:16.Liam Tancock around the pool table. Where is the money on the table?
:19:16. > :19:16.
:19:16. > :19:21.Liam Tancock has got it! It is fair to say you are Britain's best?
:19:21. > :19:27.have picked up medals at every World Championships I have been too.
:19:27. > :19:36.You are a consistent performer. just like racing. That is genuinely
:19:36. > :19:46.thought it is. You never worry about anyone else? There is no need
:19:46. > :19:46.
:19:46. > :19:56.to worry about anyone. No one else can affect my water, so to speak.
:19:56. > :19:56.
:19:57. > :20:05.Do you never were a thing you see what other people have done? No.
:20:05. > :20:15.short of falling off the block or a cat coming into your lame, -- into
:20:15. > :20:18.
:20:18. > :20:25.your lane, you will be OK? I am allergic to cats. I cannot believe
:20:25. > :20:32.you do ballet dancing. It is not the ballet dancing you think of.
:20:32. > :20:41.are you sure? Core mussels are very important in swimming. We also have
:20:41. > :20:51.to be aware of our limits. Ballet dancers are the same. I think there
:20:51. > :20:58.
:20:58. > :21:08.You potted the black. Would you prefer to do a personal best time
:21:08. > :21:11.at the Olympics more than a metal? Personal best. I know that if I
:21:11. > :21:16.swim and a personal best time, I will be happy. You cannot do
:21:16. > :21:26.anything more than the best. If it your best to get to a medal, get to
:21:26. > :21:26.
:21:26. > :21:36.opposition, that is a bonus for you. Both of them it look like they are
:21:36. > :21:41.
:21:41. > :21:47.quite good at playing pool. You both gasped of when you heard Liam
:21:47. > :21:55.Tancock as saying he would rather get a personal best than a medal.
:21:55. > :22:00.Every athlete wants to get a medal. No one remembers that the time, it
:22:00. > :22:08.is a medal. But if he does a personal best, that should put him
:22:08. > :22:14.a monster the medals. It is not about the best times on the day, it
:22:14. > :22:24.is about their medals at the Olympics. At championships, it is
:22:24. > :22:25.
:22:25. > :22:30.about the times. What chance has he got? How is it going in terms of
:22:30. > :22:36.trying to swim a 100-metre backstroke? You are doubling the
:22:36. > :22:46.distance. It is quite a difference. If it they could stop the race at
:22:46. > :22:52.80 metres, I think he would stand a good chance. He will be looking to
:22:52. > :22:54.dominate the final of the 100 metres backstroke. Pretty much any
:22:54. > :22:59.discussion about the British swimming focuses on the women
:22:59. > :23:09.because they are proving to be more successful. With the men, is there
:23:09. > :23:10.
:23:10. > :23:20.anybody else we should be looking out for? James Goddard. He was 4th
:23:20. > :23:21.
:23:21. > :23:28.in the world rankings last year. Who else? Michael Jamieson. There
:23:28. > :23:38.are three guys fighting for two spots in the breaststroke. We have
:23:38. > :23:45.
:23:45. > :23:50.got a swim or like Michael Phelps? Michael Watkins. hopefully his
:23:50. > :23:54.confidence has increased. Korean team are here because it is
:23:54. > :24:04.an international competition as well. Are you not tempted to go out
:24:04. > :24:05.
:24:05. > :24:15.and say that you can still do it? am always prepared, I have my speed
:24:15. > :24:25.ofs on -- Speedo on. competition starts tonight from at
:24:25. > :24:31.
:24:31. > :24:41.6:25pm. Plenty of top class action. This is Hannah Miley. This is a big
:24:41. > :24:46.week for you. How are you? Really excited. As a mix -- as an athlete,
:24:46. > :24:56.you get excited and nervous. But you have to manage it. It is great
:24:56. > :25:02.
:25:02. > :25:12.to be poolside now. I will be swimming in a variety of events
:25:12. > :25:13.
:25:13. > :25:18.this week. I am racing a couple of races. But there is a plan to it.
:25:18. > :25:24.The 200 individual medley is the main one. The other events are just
:25:24. > :25:27.a cake make ticking over. I love hard work. I want to take advantage
:25:27. > :25:37.of racing faster this pool. We are trying out something different just
:25:37. > :25:41.now. The target is to go faster at the Olympic bins. -- Olympic Games.
:25:41. > :25:46.What would you actually swim at the Olympic Games? It depends how
:25:46. > :25:56.things go. Definitely the 402 hundred individual medley. Anything
:25:56. > :26:02.
:26:02. > :26:08.else would be a bonus. I am trying to keep my options open. Other --
:26:08. > :26:15.who else is catching up with you? There are lots of young ones
:26:15. > :26:21.catching up. It is exciting because it shows the depth of so many in
:26:21. > :26:25.Britain, it has really improved. one can fall due for hard work.
:26:25. > :26:31.Thank you very much. There is only one swimmer who has actually
:26:31. > :26:35.already qualified for the Olympic Games, Keri-Anne Payne. She has
:26:35. > :26:39.qualified for the open-water swimming.
:26:39. > :26:43.The Olympics are only five months away and you have already got your
:26:43. > :26:49.place. What was it like when you knew you had got the place?
:26:49. > :26:53.Qualifying for the Olympics in Shanghai was amazing. I knew that I
:26:53. > :26:59.had to do it them. It was an incredible swim and it went
:26:59. > :27:03.perfectly from start to finish. I got out feeling so happy and proud
:27:03. > :27:13.of myself for doing it. I was a really excited to perform in front
:27:13. > :27:14.
:27:14. > :27:24.of a home crowd. But you are back this week? I want to qualify for
:27:24. > :27:33.
:27:33. > :27:36.thes team. -- have for the pool team. It is the best preparation.
:27:36. > :27:41.Being poolside and hearing the national anthem was one of the best
:27:41. > :27:47.moments. Having already qualified, you might have thought she would
:27:47. > :27:52.have wanted a quiet week. No, I think this is part of her training
:27:52. > :27:57.routine. She enjoys being in with the team. It is interesting to see
:27:57. > :28:07.how important it is for her. My advice is to concentrate on one
:28:07. > :28:12.thing however. She has got it all. She is a lovely personality, lovely,
:28:12. > :28:18.popular and talented. She is going to have a great career. She won the
:28:18. > :28:22.last two championships in the open water. This one, on paper, she
:28:22. > :28:32.should. But she does have everything. She has become the face
:28:32. > :28:32.
:28:32. > :28:37.of swimming. Having already qualified, she should concentrate
:28:37. > :28:43.on the open water, but she likes to be with the rest of the slammers.
:28:43. > :28:53.She is very close to the team. Her future husband, David Carry, they
:28:53. > :29:07.
:29:07. > :29:10.are getting married in September. - I am hearing there could be more
:29:10. > :29:17.British swimmers qualifying for this Olympic Games than any
:29:17. > :29:24.previous Games? So exciting. Yes, you would like to think so. It will
:29:24. > :29:28.be our biggest team in 100 years. As far as the state of British
:29:28. > :29:38.swimming is concerned, you think it is pretty healthy? Yes, it is the
:29:38. > :29:38.
:29:38. > :29:45.best I have ever seen it. Several names have an opportunity to win
:29:45. > :29:49.medals in the past, but this time, I could give you a dozen names.
:29:49. > :29:54.just have to turn the names into medals. The atmosphere here will be