Australia’s Top Guns Talk to Media Prior to London Olympics

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LONDON, England, July 23. SOME of the top talent on the Australian squad spoke with the media during a press conference today at the Main Press Center in London. Stephanie Rice, James Magnussen, Leisel Jones, Eamon Sullivan and head coach Leigh Nugent all had a chance to react to media questions.

STEPHANIE RICE

On her shoulder injuries (she has had problems with her shoulders for the past three years) and recent neck problem:
“I feel much better in terms of my neck. We did a time trial the other day and I pulled my swimsuit off and just kinked it a little. It wouldn't be a high pressure preparation without something not going to plan at bit, but I feel I'm capable of handling things like that at the moment.”

On her goals for the London 2012 Olympic Games:
“My goals here are pretty similar to what I had going to Beijing. I'm not someone who likes to consider their performance as a win-or-lose situation. I don't like to think about winning. It's more about the process. Putting in a good preparation gives you the confidence that you need to line up in a high pressure environment. I'm proud of the character I've had to have to get here. I think anything beyond making a final is truly a blessing.”

On enjoying being an Olympic champion (Rice won the 200m and 400m individual medley at Beijing 2008):
“A lot of it is just about being sure of who you are and the character that you have, and also finding what works for you. I don't like putting pressure on myself in terms of outcomes and expectations. In Australia, we favor a bit more of an underdog, but that doesn't work for an individual athlete sometimes.”

JAMES MAGNUSSEN

On others' expectations of him:
“I don't think I'm feeling the burden of expectations. I'm looking to have a positive and fun experience and I'm not letting the expectations get to me.”

On whether Brazil's Cesar Cielo is his main rival in the 100m freestyle:
“I'm not afraid of Cielo. I'm aware he's one of my main competitors. Not sure if you're aware but there's James Roberts. He's one of my main competitors and he's faster than Cielo.”

“I'm not preparing my race around him (Cielo). There are other people I have to beat but I do respect him.”

“I think the main competition here is myself and my headspace. If I can overcome the pressures from home that I know are there than I can do better than my result at the world championships and get the job done.”

On the Australian men's 4x100m freestyle relay team and whether they have bonded:
“We've bonded really well. As a group, we're tighter than we've been in the past. We're a bunch of mates and we can show the rest of the world what we can do.”

On whether a world record in the 100m freestyle is likely:
“I've come here to win gold, not break world records. If you're going to leave a legacy in this sport, it would start with an Olympic gold, followed by a world record. A world record (in London) would just be a bonus. It may take a world record to win that race, but whatever the outcome, my first focus is gold.”

On coping with the expectations on him:
“That's something my coach and I have trained on. My main goal is to stay positive and enjoy the week. In my experience, if I have a positive mindset then everything falls into place.”

On the men's 4x100m freestyle relay at Beijing 2008 and the United States team out-touching France at the wall and winning gold:
“It's one of my favorite Olympic moments. The anchor leg by Jason Lezak is something I could only ever dream to emulate. If we, as a team, could emulate that it would be amazing but I feel this team is in a position to forge our own path. But we're aware of the Americans' ability to come from behind and cause an upset like that.”

LEISEL JONES

On having won the 100m breaststroke at Beijing 2008 and competing against Rebecca Soni in London 2012:
“I'm really excited to be racing Rebecca Soni again and she has been dominating the 100m breaststroke for about the last four years. She is one of my toughest competitors. I really enjoy racing against her. She is one of the greatest I have ever seen. It's going to be a very tough race.”

“To say that I'm in the same mindset as I was in Beijing would be completely incorrect. I'm so relaxed and I'm just really enjoying everything about these Games and the lead- up. I think Beijing was quite easy in that I knew I wanted gold and did everything to get there. This time it's just been so much more relaxed, it's such a different way to look at things and it's really quite exciting. It's just so nice to have no pressure on.”

EAMON SULLIVAN

On having to swim preliminaries, semifinals and finals:
“Ever since I've been swimming internationally, it's been heats, semis and finals, so it's something that we've been brought up doing. It doesn't make any difference to our thought process. We know it's a three-race meet for most of them (the races).”

HEAD COACH LEIGH NUGENT

On the technology the Australians are using in training, and whether there is any special assistance that they have been given to have an edge in the pool:
“Swimming, coaching and preparing athletes at the highest international level has become quite technical in the past couple of decades, and even before that. We're all looking for that little edge, and I probably won't be telling you what we do.”

“We bring the sports scientists with us to our training camps, and they certainly assist the coaches in helping them prepare their athletes. The biggest factor at this stage isn't so much the technology, it's the coach and the athlete, and that hasn't changed for probably a century or more. If you get that combination and that relationship right then the athlete is well prepared and you're going to get the best result that they possibly can.”

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