Plans in progress as Dolphins look to kick on

AUSTRALIA’S preparations to regain the mantle of top swimming nation in the world by 2020 are well underway as athletes reach the two-year countdown to the Tokyo Olympics.

The Dolphins will celebrate the two-year mark today in Cairns as they put the final touches on their preparations for the Pan Pacific Championships which start in Tokyo in just over a fortnight.

While the meet will act as a dress rehearsal for the Australian team, director Jacco Verhaeren said he was playing a long game, with an emphasis on results in two years’ time rather than the sugar hit of a pre-Games championship gold rush. Australia will take a 32member team to the Pan Pacs, including Rio Olympic champions Mack Horton and Kyle Chalmers, world record-holder Cate Campbell and world champion Emily Seebohm.

“We’re two years away from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and it’s crazy to think that Rio was two years ago, it feels like just last month,” said Horton, who won the 400m freestyle at the 2016 Olympics.

“It’s exciting to be here (in Cairns) and getting ready to go to Tokyo two years out – get a taste, get a feel for Tokyo and look forward to the Olympics in a couple of years’ time.”

Verhaeren said while the team was seeking the strongest results possible at this year’s benchmark meet as many swimmers returned to the international arena after postRio breaks, the main goal was the Olympics.

Canadian Olympic gold medallist Alex Baumann, now Swimming Australia chief strategist, said the team was playing the long game. “Ultimately our goal is to perform in Tokyo in 2020,” he said.