Jones happy to be Aussie 'mother' to swimmers
Source: AFP |
July 18, 2012, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
LEISEL Jones may be 26 but the Australia swimming star is about to embark on her fourth Olympic Games.
And for Jones part of her role at London 2012 is to play "mother" to the "kids" on the Australian team and help them achieve Games glory - even if it means her own medal ambitions take a back seat. Jones won the 100 meters breaststroke in Beijing four years ago, when she also helped Australia take the 4x100m medley relay. But Jones is now keen to see how her teammates get on.
"I just can't wait to see how they will perform," she said. "Yes, it's just been a really different role for me this year. I'm just really looking forward to taking on this role, a bit of a mother-hand role, looking after the younger kids."
One of those is James Magnussen, the 21-year-old 100m freestyle world champion who is competing at his first Olympic Games.
"I love him," said Jones. "I think he's brought so much personality to this team. He really made it quite vibrant and quite interesting. And I think he certainly has it, he's been training hard, he's been saying that he is out there doing it, so I think if he can pull it all together on the day, absolutely I think he can do it."
Magnussen himself said: "I feel like...we've spent a good 12 months, 12 to 25 months now focusing on this single goal, and World Championship was just building up to this year. I feel like I'm really at my peak now."
Australian coach Brant Best added his bit, saying: "He (Magnussen) is a very confident boy, but over-confidence is not a problem."
And for Jones part of her role at London 2012 is to play "mother" to the "kids" on the Australian team and help them achieve Games glory - even if it means her own medal ambitions take a back seat. Jones won the 100 meters breaststroke in Beijing four years ago, when she also helped Australia take the 4x100m medley relay. But Jones is now keen to see how her teammates get on.
"I just can't wait to see how they will perform," she said. "Yes, it's just been a really different role for me this year. I'm just really looking forward to taking on this role, a bit of a mother-hand role, looking after the younger kids."
One of those is James Magnussen, the 21-year-old 100m freestyle world champion who is competing at his first Olympic Games.
"I love him," said Jones. "I think he's brought so much personality to this team. He really made it quite vibrant and quite interesting. And I think he certainly has it, he's been training hard, he's been saying that he is out there doing it, so I think if he can pull it all together on the day, absolutely I think he can do it."
Magnussen himself said: "I feel like...we've spent a good 12 months, 12 to 25 months now focusing on this single goal, and World Championship was just building up to this year. I feel like I'm really at my peak now."
Australian coach Brant Best added his bit, saying: "He (Magnussen) is a very confident boy, but over-confidence is not a problem."
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