Schoeman is excited as he eyes history
STILL GAME: Veteran swimmer Roland Schoeman is set to qualify for a record fifth Olympic Games ROLAND Schoeman will bid to make local history this week as he attempts to qualify for an unprecedented fifth Olympics.
He and South Africa’s other Games hopefuls have to perform at the national championships — which doubles as trials for the Rio 2016 showpiece — in Durban from today until Saturday.
They must achieve the same stipulated qualifying times that were in force last year for selection to the 2015 world championships. Only five men achieved those times a year ago, and Schoeman wasn’t one of them, failing to get the 22.27sec mark for the 50m freestyle.
That was a disappointment for the speed merchant, SA’s most decorated Olympian from a single Games, with three medals at Athens 2004.
But Schoeman arrived home from his Tuscaloosa, Alabama, base in the US insisting he wasn’t nervous.
“I’m more excited than anything else . . . I haven’t been this excited in quite some time.
“I’ve been incredibly blessed to have had the longevity I have had,” said Schoeman, who made his Olympic debut at Sydney 2000, where he made the semifinals of the 50m free.
Incredibly, he made the final at the next three consecutive Games, from 2004 to 2012.
For the past year Schoeman has been coached by a former SA swimming great, Jonty Skinner, the first man to hold the world record in the 50m freestyle when the event was initially recognised in 1976. Skinner also held the 100m freestyle world record.
“Getting older, the key has been to manage my recovery,” said Schoeman, 35, who is also entered in the 100m freestyle.
“We really are in uncharted territory . . . it has been a learning experience for us both.”
Schoeman burst on to the scene in 1999 when he rocketed to No 1 on the 50m free world rankings with a 22.04 effort.
He became the first SA swimmer to win a world championship medal and in 2005 he won 50m free gold in 21.69, the second-fastest time in the world at the time. He was also the first man on the planet to break 23 seconds in the 50m butterfly, a non-Olympic event.
There have been lows too, like failing to make the 50m freestyle podium at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
“The meet for me was a struggle from day one, I could feel that I just wasn’t swimming as fast as I could have.”
That cost him his funding from the SA Olympic Committee (Sascoc).
“Chad [Le Clos] and Cameron [van der Burgh] are doing incredibly well for themselves with sponsors . . . They’re at the top end of the spectrum.
“Unfortunately with limited success over the past few years I haven’t afforded myself the same . . . That is why I elected crowdfunding,” said Schoeman, adding it cost $80 000 a year to make an Olympic champion.
This week, his focus is on making Olympics No 5.
The last man to try, Hendrick Ramaala, missed out on making the SA marathon team for London 2012 by just 89 seconds.
An in-form Schoeman can do four 50m frees in that time.
We’re in uncharted territory . . . it’s been a learning experience