We are a small but happy lot down here at Leisureworld. We finally know Michelle Smith's next move. A "good" swim today in the Cork pool and Ireland's triple gold medallist will be on her way to Seville for the European Championships which begin next week. Cork may also house Ireland's first World swimming record.
"Good" for Smith will mean coming close to Ines Geissler's 1982 European record of 2 mins 7.18 or Mary T. Meagher's 2mins 5.65 1981 world record, which has largely been seen as a mark that could stand a nuclear attack. It has lasted 16 years already.
Smith was unsuccessful in her first attempt at the Grove Baths in Belfast at the National Championships on July 25th, although she clocked the second fastest time in the world this year at 2 minutes 8.15.
"When I left the Grove Baths in Belfast I didn't know what to say because I was so disappointed by the swim. The first thoughts I had were not to have another go at the record but ten minutes later I said 'yes I would like to have another go'.
"Subsequent to the race we (Michelle and Eric) went back and analysed it and thought that we would try it again for two reasons.
"First of all my training was going well but I didn't feel that I was racing fit. The second reason was that if I changed one or two things in my training programme I thought I could swim faster - not necessarily two and a half secondsfaster, or three seconds faster but I think I can go faster than the 2:08 I swam in Belfast."
Smith will go into the new pool in Bishopstown on her own, something she acknowledges is not ideal, but also not unusual for her. There is nobody in Ireland who could last her pace and only a handful in Europe who can match her time.
"At this point in time most swimmers are going into their taper period. I would have preferred if there was someone in there swimming against me but in Europe there are maybe only two or three who could swim a 200m fly with me. None of those girls will be competing now because they won't come out of theirtraining camp."
In all respects today's solo effort swim is a unique event. Not only because Smith has reached a level where she believes that she might pocket a world or European record, but that she is prepared to attempt it without the competitive edge of a top class event. An advantage is that if she bags either the European or world times, the psychological advantage going into Seville will be immense.
But to all intents and purposes today is a training swim albeit against the clock and in training Smith has already realised the targets she has set herself.
"I've made those targets in training but I still wasn't happy with the way I raced in Belfast. I'm going to decide after the race today whether I'll go to Seville or not. If I do well I'll go.
"It is preferable to have had access to a 50 metre pool before a major championships and I haven't had that and I don't know if that will be to my detriment or not. But I've always performed better in a 50 metre pool than in a 25 metre pool and it takes me very little time to get adjusted. If I do well today the time between now and the beginning of the European Championships will be long enough to adjust."
