Trickett passes up shot at six golds

SYDNEY – Australian Libby Trickett has passed up the opportunity to chase a record-equalling six gold medals at this year’s Beijing Olympics by dropping the 4x200m freestyle relay from her swimming programme.

Trickett, formerly Lenton, had targeted the 50m, 100m freestyle, 100m butterfly and three relays at Beijing, but said Monday she won’t be swimming in the 200m relay event. Kristin Otto was tagged the female equivalent of the great Mark Spitz when the East German captured six gold medals in six swims at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, a record that has not been equalled or bettered in women’s swimming.But Trickett, currently in a training camp in north Queensland, said she had full confidence in the swimmers already part of the relay squad.”It’s a personal choice for me and there wasn’t any one reason but more a whole combination of factors that led me to make that decision,” Trickett said in a statement.”We already have a fantastic line up and I think they’re going to do a great job and I’m looking forward to seeing how they go.”It’s going to be one of the most competitive relays at the Olympics and while the Americans have pretty much had a stranglehold on it we’ve never had so much depth.”The Australian relay squad comprises Bronte Barratt, Linda MacKenzie, Angie Bainbridge, Lara Davenport, Melanie Schlanger, Kylie Palmer, Felicity Galvez and Stephanie Rice.Trickett, who goes to Beijing with world records in the 50m (23.97) and 100m freestyle (52.88), said she was delighted with her Olympic preparations.”My preparation has been really good so far,” she said.”It’s fairly standard that with every preparation that there are little obstacles and challenges that you need to work with and around.”But overall I’m really happy with my progression, especially strength-wise because I had a bit of a shoulder injury last season.”I couldn’t progress as far as I would have liked in the gym before trials so in that respect things are a lot better and just in the water it is going really well.I’m very happy.”Nampa-AFPKristin Otto was tagged the female equivalent of the great Mark Spitz when the East German captured six gold medals in six swims at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, a record that has not been equalled or bettered in women’s swimming.But Trickett, currently in a training camp in north Queensland, said she had full confidence in the swimmers already part of the relay squad.”It’s a personal choice for me and there wasn’t any one reason but more a whole combination of factors that led me to make that decision,” Trickett said in a statement.”We already have a fantastic line up and I think they’re going to do a great job and I’m looking forward to seeing how they go.”It’s going to be one of the most competitive relays at the Olympics and while the Americans have pretty much had a stranglehold on it we’ve never had so much depth.”The Australian relay squad comprises Bronte Barratt, Linda MacKenzie, Angie Bainbridge, Lara Davenport, Melanie Schlanger, Kylie Palmer, Felicity Galvez and Stephanie Rice.Trickett, who goes to Beijing with world records in the 50m (23.97) and 100m freestyle (52.88), said she was delighted with her Olympic preparations.”My preparation has been really good so far,” she said.”It’s fairly standard that with every preparation that there are little obstacles and challenges that you need to work with and around.”But overall I’m really happy with my progression, especially strength-wise because I had a bit of a shoulder injury last season.”I couldn’t progress as far as I would have liked in the gym before trials so in that respect things are a lot better and just in the water it is going really well.I’m very happy.”Nampa-AFP