FINA/Arena Swimming World Cup 2009 – Singapore
Record holder of the 100m breaststroke in the short and long course category, and Olympic gold medalist, Leisel Jones, has confirmed her participation in the Singapore leg of the FINA/Arena Swimming World Cup 2009 from the 21st to 22nd November 2009.
Interview Transcript with Leisel Jones
How are you feeling right now?
Quite good actually. We are just getting fit at the moment. Our programme is pretty planned out, a lot of cardio work and everyone is working hard to keep ourselves fit and we’re all enjoying it. I really like to stay in swimming. We’re getting our fitness back. We get to do some things in training which is very hard and very challenging, but quite enjoying this period of training
How has the one year sabbatical been since the Beijing Olympics beneficial to you?
I’ve actually really enjoyed this past year. After Beijing, obviously there was a lot of work to get there and I’ve achieved everything I ever wanted so this year has been really good I’ve been able to explore things about life outside of swimming, whether it be business, studying and socializing with friends and I’ve enjoyed that bit. So training hard at the same time so I have reduced the number of sessions of what I am doing but I am still working very hard when I’m at the pool. I’ve enjoyed this year, and it probably helped me achieve a bit of life balance outside and away from the pool and I have really enjoyed that
Do you feel that there might be a disadvantage at the Swimming World Cup? Any rustiness you may find?
I don’t think so. I think this world cup is great for me in terms of getting fitness and continue racing, and it’s not about winning money or anything. I’ve got goal; my coach and I got this goal and just getting fit throughout the whole programme of events whether it be the 50, 100, 200 breaststroke of each meet, and basically get fitter in each one. So it is pretty much more for us it’s about training and getting fitter, not about racing fast times. So I don’t see this as any disadvantage with what we are doing, and I think it is a pretty good experiment, and I have never done world cup before so this will be a great learning experience for us.
Have you competed in Singapore before?
No, we have training camps before the world championships in Singapore. We did that in 2001 before we went to Japan. I love Singapore, and I think it’s one of the most beautiful cities I have been to. It’s clean and just beautiful, so I am really looking forward to getting back there and actually racing there rather than just training.
Is the venue a factor for you?
No I don’t think so. I don’t think it’s a factor. I think it is always good to explore new places and to never have been to a pool is kinda exciting. Every of the World Championships I’ve never been to the pool before, so I love that and it is a great place to explore a new country. I’ve been to Singapore before and I didn’t get a chance to explore very much.
How far do you think are you from reclaiming any world record in the breaststroke?
It’s quite hard quite obviously. We’ve had this issue with the suits all this past year and it has been really difficult, and my records have been broken with the suit. It’s just pretty much depends on what the FINA guys decide to do with the world records. If they go back to basic suits that would really suit me because all my times were done in fast skin ones. But in terms of world records that is not really my goal. More about having a bit of fun with the sport and enjoying it and working towards the Commonwealth Games next year.
You sound a little frustrated. With what has happened surrounding the suits and your records have tumbled because of that. Is that true?
Yeah I guess it is frustrating and I also have had this year off, so I have probably picked the best year to be away from the sport, because to be caught up in all that controversy it would have been very difficult and I know a lot of the swimmers found it very difficult to deal with. And having to trial the suits even though they were given to them a week before the actual event. I am so glad I wasn’t a part of it, guess it is very frustrating as it is for all athletes that have their records broken by suits that may not have been the best for our sport. So it is a little bit frustrating.
Many have claimed that the world records set in Rome would stand for years, and even decades. Do you agree with that view?
Yeah these records will stand for a very long time if they put it in the record books. Some of them are different from others; some of them are broken by more than other events. But I think it is much more challenging for people to get back to those times, and some of them have ludicrous times and super far out and puts it out of reach for a lot of people if we go back to very basic suits, so it would make the sport very challenging to break the world records again, and that is very difficult and it’s harder for us, because we obviously want Australia to do fast times every time we go to a competition but it has been just ludicrous times, and it would just make it unrealistic to break them.
Could that affect the appeal of the sport if this record is going to stand for years, even decades?
Yeah exactly, that certainly will.
I heard that you have become a wildlife ambassador this year. Could you tell us more about that?
I am working with the World Society for Protection of Animals, and I am particularly the ambassador for the anti-whaling and for the welfare of the animals and that has been a really great adventure as well. I just filmed a documentary recently in Kenya and we’re showing this in Australia in November, talking about human-animal conflicts. It has been a really great fun adventure for me in the past year to work on something that I am very passionate about and obviously it is a non-profit organisation, so any exposure they can get is great. And obviously working with marine mammals works well as well, and I am very passionate about anti-whaling since I was in primary school, so it has been a lot of fun to work with something else that I am passionate about.
Just coming back to the suits again. Do you think with FINA’s regulations on swimmers are only allowed to swim in the regular textile-base suits. Will it necessarily mean a more level playing field or will the problems still persist?
Well with whatever they decide to do, I hope they pick the right decision I hope that it does goes back to a level playing field, and that it is not about technology anymore, it’s back to swimmers racing against swimmers and not about suits. It’s a very tricky situation and I know there are a few options so hopefully they choose the right one. Whatever the right option is I’m not quite sure and in my opinion I don’t know what they should go back to so hopefully just the right decision comes out of it, and not succumbing to technology.
Just to clarify, you are still Speedos is that correct?
Yes that is right
And could I just check which events are you slated in for the World Cup in Singapore?
The 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke.
You sound very refreshed to be back in swimming again. Do you have any future plans for next year or even the London Olympics?
At this point we are just taking it year by year because I think it has been really beneficial. Having enjoyed swimming a lot more these past few months because I have taken a little step back and I have done events I love doing and haven’t had the chance to do before, so that has made me feel more refreshed and I actually enjoyed it a lot more. So I am just looking forward to the world cup at the end of this year and then looking forward to trail next year for the Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Championships so just taking it step by step this time and small steps and small goals at each event.
Any plans to take in the sights while you are in Singapore?
No plans at this point. Got a few things I need to kick off before I go to World Cup and I don’t know if there is anything I want to achieve in particular, or anything I want to see. I guess I will take things as it comes and when I get there, I will decide on the different things I want to do, and whether it be goals or sightseeing or whatever it is, it is always different when I go to different places so when I get there I just decide.
Was your sabbatical always planned, or did you just come to a point where you decided you needed a break from swimming?
There wasn’t exactly planned. After Beijing though I really had a few options in what I wanted to do. I could have gone straight back into training and work very hard for the World Championships this year but it just wasn’t in my heart to do that. I’ve been in the sports and the national team almost 10 years now, and I think it was about time that I took a step away and really decided on what I wanted to do, instead of jumping straight in back to the pool working hard at some things that maybe wasn’t necessarily in my heart what I wanted to do. This sabbatical year has just been the absolute perfect decision and I am so glad I did it, and now it has made me want to get back in and swim fast again.
I remember you when you first came into the scene. The Lisa with painted fingernails, very happy getting in the pool. Can you tell us the difference between the Liesel then and now?
I guess I am obviously a lot more mature, I’ve raced for about ten years so every year I have learnt something new about myself. This past year is probably where I have learnt the most about myself. I have learnt about having confidence and believing in what you do and making sure that you have your whole heart in what you do and be passionate about what you are doing otherwise there is no point. I’m definitely more passionate about swimming, I’m more educated, I know so much more about myself and that’s what my sport has given me. And if I haven’t done swimming, I probably wouldn’t have learnt things that I have learnt today. So, very very grateful for that.
In Singapore we have got a strong swimming background in Asia. I know a lot of the kids would love to have a chance to chat with you when you are here. Is that something you are looking to do?
Well I have never done a World Cup before, and when we go to countries obviously we love to see what the locals do, and I’ve had the opportunity to do some swim clinics in Hong Kong before and really loved it. So I would love to obviously reach out to young kids in the squad because it is a good way to be able to tell people in the sport how good it really is, and what you have learnt. So obviously if the opportunity arose, we would definitely love to work with kids and see what we can do.
Which other legs will you be swimming in for the World Cup?
I’m actually currently planning to do all of them; from Durban to Moscow, Sweden and Berlin. I am trying to do all of them, so we will see how that goes.
This may be a premature question but do you see yourself still involved in swimming after your swimming career?
I don’t know what I want to do actually, but I have got a few options. I would love to continue working with the World Society for the Protection of Animals, and I obviously love my sport so I would love to give back to the sport as to what they have given to me. And whether that be mentoring young people in the sport. I don’t necessarily know if I want to be a coach or be the boss for Swimming Australia, I think that is a very tough job; there will be a lot of work on my hands. Definitely would love to help young kids to learn about things that I have learnt.
