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Hackett looks beyond Beijing
14/03/2007 08:29 - (SA)
Melbourne - Australian distance champion Grant Hackett hopes a recent change of environment may extend his international career to include a fourth Olympics, reports said on Wednesday.
Hackett, Australia's lone men's gold medal hope at the next week's world championships in Melbourne, admits he is off the pace after moving to Melbourne from the Gold Coast.
But the world and Olympic 1 500m freestyle champion believes the change could be the spark he needs to swim beyond next year's Beijing Olympics and consider London 2012.
Hackett conceded last week his move to Melbourne had left him underdone for next week's championships, and said his focus remained a record third Olympic 1 500m freestyle crown next year.
However the world record-holder said he hoped his move to Melbourne would extend his career.
"It will certainly make it easier to swim on beyond Beijing," Hackett told Monday's Melbourne Herald-Sun newspaper.
"And for me, I would love to be able to do that and continue to swim at the level that I have.
"Making a change of environment is stimulating in itself and reinvigorates your career.
"I'm very conscious of the fact that making a decision now will make it easier for me to swim beyond Beijing."
Hackett has been undefeated in the 1 500m freestyle in more than 10 years and will be aiming for a fifth straight world title in Melbourne.
The 26-year-old Australian faces major challenges to his reign at the world championships from Russian Yuri Prilukov and Athens Olympic medallists Larsen Jensen of the United States and Welshman David Davies.
"It takes a lot of pressure off me having so many guys swimming well," he said. "People realise that it's much more competitive than it has been in the past.
"There is that expectation that you've got to win, but I feel like that is less than it's ever been because people are more educated on how fast the competition is swimming and how much of a challenging race it's going to be."
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