It’s been flippin’ awesome, but I’m out of here
PRETORIA-based swimming star Cameron van der Burgh is moving to Cape Town.
The upshot of his looming lifestyle change — ahead of what will certainly be his final Olympic cycle into Tokyo 2020 — means he hasn’t spent much time in the pool recently.
Van der Burgh, 28, will compete in the 50m breaststroke at the African championships in Bloemfontein, but instead of rejoining the World Cup series in Singapore, he will continue making his move preparations.
“I’ve only been back in the water now for two-and-ahalf weeks,” said Van der Burgh, who raced in the first three legs of the World Cup in late August and early September.
“It’s the end of an Olympic cycle and I’ve needed to sit down and re-evaluate the next four years.
“I’m moving to Cape Town and need to organise everything, so I’d rather do all this stuff now [rather] than later and risk affecting my performance at the major competition next year.”
His main target is the 2017 world championships in Hungary, where the competition is held in a 50m Olympic-sized pool.
Van der Burgh is looking forward to the world shortcourse championships, in Canada in December, which don’t enjoy quite the same high esteem.
“[It’s] going to be a bit of fun,” he said, adding that he was eager to share the occasion with his friend, training partner and fellow world championship medallist Giulio Zorzi.
The pair shared the 50m breaststroke podium at the 2013 world long-course championships in Barcelona — Van der Burgh taking gold and Zorzi the bronze. Can they repeat that? “It will be flippin’ awesome,” said Van der Burgh. “I’m just trying to get in the gym a lot and get really super strong for short course and then the years of the mileage will hopefully carry me through,” added Van der Burgh, the 2012 Olympic 100m champion and runner-up at the Rio Olympic Games.
“For Giulio, it’s his last competition and then he’s retiring — well, he says he’s retiring, you never know — but I think it will be his last major tour so I’d really like to be a part of that,” said Van der Burgh, the world No 2 in the 50m and 100m.
He has yet to decide his race programme for December, but said he would not compete in the 200m breaststroke.
“We’ll call it once I’m there. We will decide on doing the 50 and 100 and how I’m going to attack it.”