Molly Renshaw<\/strong> half expected to face Yulia Efimova<\/strong> in the 200 breaststroke in Tokyo although a quick glance at the entry lists soon confirmed the Russian will only compete in the shorter race.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho knows?\u201d said Renshaw a few short weeks back: \u201cShe seems to wrangle her way around things so I\u2019m not holding my breath on that one yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

$\"Gold$
Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Perottino \/ Deepbluemedia \/ Insidefoto<\/p><\/div>\n
Efimova tore it up around Europe at the Mare Nostrum<\/strong> series following the continental showpiece across all the breaststroke distances.<\/p>\n
However, third place at the Russian trials behind Chikunova and Maria Temnikova<\/strong> means she will only race over 100m with the Briton concentrating solely on the four-length race.<\/p>\n
An abiding memory of Rio 2016<\/strong> were the cat-calls and jeers for the woman who was cleared by FINA to compete on the first day of the swimming programme despite four positive tests for meldonium.<\/p>\n
That followed a 16-month ban for DHEA in 2013.<\/p>\n
Of course, she\u2019s not the only swimmer to have violated doping rules but a lack of humility and little apparent remorse has ensured the spotlight has remained shining on her.<\/p>\n
For Renshaw, the problem isn\u2019t just a doping swimmer but what to the Briton appears to be a less than robust approach by the authorities.<\/p>\n
She said:<\/p>\n
\u201cI know a lot of people frown upon her swimming and I definitely don\u2019t agree with the way FINA and everyone have dealt with her situations in the past.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe had a massive presence in Rio: the whole suspense of whether she would be swimming, a week before no-one knew whether she would be there.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was getting booed coming out for her Olympic finals so it must have been hard for her but I can\u2019t say I have any remorse.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe has a big presence: she has achieved so much, whether she\u2019s done it clean or not, she is still a name in swimming.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Frustrations And Fears<\/h3>\nThe issue of athlete expression has never been far from the surface this year, Adam Peaty<\/strong> and Duncan Scott<\/strong> welcoming Team GB’s declaration that they wouldn’t stand in their way should they wish to protest.<\/a><\/p>\n
In Tokyo, expressions and protests during competition, in the Olympic village and during ceremonies \u2014 including medal, opening and closing ceremonies \u2014 are still barred under Rule 50.<\/a><\/p>\n
Athletes can speak about their feelings in the mixed zone<\/a>, the media and broadcast centres, during interviews and at team meetings.<\/p>\n
Scott took a very public stand against dopers when he refused to share a podium with Sun Yang<\/strong> following the 200 free medal ceremony at the 2019 worlds in Gwangju.<\/p>\n
$\"duncan-scott-sun-yang\"$
Stand-off: Britain’s Duncan Scott, right, refuses to pose with Sun Yang, flanked by Katsuhiro Matsumoto, left, and Martin Malyutin, after the 200m free medals ceremony – Photo Courtesy: Patrick B. Kraemer<\/p><\/div>\n
The Chinese swimmer took exception and confronted the Briton, finger-pointing and ranting in his face<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Sun, though, will not be in Tokyo to defend his 200 free title as he was handed a suspension of four years and three months by CAS<\/a> as the whole tawdry saga over a smashed vial of blood came to an end.<\/p>\n
Scott had followed Mack Horton<\/strong>\u2019s example with the Australian having made a similar stand after the 400 free.<\/p>\n
However, in the end of meet press conference, the pair were accused of bringing the sport into disrepute and a report in the Australian Daily Telegraph revealed FINA had considered stripping Horton of his medal.<\/p>\n
Renshaw understands why there may be some wariness given athletes who stand against doping\u00a0 apparently suffer a backlash.<\/p>\n
She said:<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter doing that on the podium Duncan got so much hate on social media \u2013 he was getting trolled by bots.<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember he ended up logging out of all his social media accounts because all the comments were almost like death threats and stuff.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were obviously sticking up for Sun Yang but it\u2019s such a hard topic and you see things like that and that\u2019s when you almost lose faith in the sport.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere the dopers are getting less repercussions than the people who are trying to stand up for it.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s silly that clean athletes are being threatened to take their medals away for standing up for what\u2019s actually right and the dopers are getting away scot-free.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s completely mixed up.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Former FINA executive director Cornel Marculescu<\/strong> embraced Sun on poolside at Rio 2016 despite the swimmer’s drug violation back in 2014.<\/p>\n
For Renshaw, the sport needs to do more to deter the dopers.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s massively frustrating. Obviously there are drug cheats out there: whether they\u2019re being caught or not I think it\u2019s common knowledge that in every sport there is doping.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think swimming is as bad as other sports \u2013 whether that\u2019s because we aren\u2019t up to scratch with testing, we just haven\u2019t caught enough people or we are genuinely a cleaner sport.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is frustrating and there is definitely room for improvement and I think things like the ISL where it\u2019s a new league where convicted dopers can\u2019t compete \u2013 that\u2019s a step in the right direction but there\u2019s much more that could be done.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Tokyo Ambitions<\/h3>\n
$\"Molly$
Molly Renshaw; Photo Courtesy: Georgie Kerr, British Swimming<\/p><\/div>\n
Tokyo will be Renshaw\u2019s second and last Olympics and possibly her final major meet.<\/p>\n
She has been retained by the New York Breakers<\/strong> for the International Swimming League<\/strong> (ISL) Season 3 but this is her last chance to get on the Olympic podium.<\/p>\n
The 25-year-old, who is coached by Dave Hemmings<\/strong> at the National Centre Loughborough<\/strong>, lowered her own British record to 2:20.89 at the trials in April<\/a> to go into Tokyo second in the rankings behind Tatjana Schoenmaker<\/strong>, silver medallist in Gwangju, who set an African mark of 2:20.17 in April.<\/a><\/p>\n
Renshaw is rarely one to talk of her chances come the big race but is more likely to speak of process.<\/p>\n
This time, however, she says:<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve never been that kind of swimmer who will go around saying\u2019 I\u2019m going to go here, I\u2019m going to win gold, I\u2019m going to break world records.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I do think that swim at trials (British record 2:20) has given me the confidence that there is a lot more to come this summer.<\/p>\n
\u201cI went to Rio and I was over the moon with making the final, I was just so happy to be there and I accepted whatever happened I\u2019d be happy with – and I was and I really can\u2019t complain.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously being so close to the medals was hard but I think that\u2019s what drove me the past four \u2013 well, five – years and I\u2019d love to be there on the podium.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that going 2:20 puts me in good stead to do that and it\u2019s definitely a goal going forwards.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
It will be Renshaw\u2019s third Olympic cycle although she missed out on London 2012 because of a selection policy that meant she swam inside the required standard but at the wrong meet.<\/p>\n
Just 16 at the time, Renshaw has credited that experience with making her stronger and came a year after she made her debut at the 2011 World Championships<\/strong> in Shanghai.<\/p>\n
Looking back, Renshaw says she\u2019s been a completely different athlete in each cycle with her 2012 experience shaping her through Rio and Tokyo.<\/p>\n
The 2016 cycle represented the biggest changes of her career as she moved to the National Training Centre Loughborough to be coached by Kev Renshaw<\/strong> and Hemmings.<\/p>\n
She left the comfort of living with her parents to becoming independent which can be a shock to many a youngster although Renshaw says it was the kick-start she needed and one that worked as she was constantly lowering her PB each time she got in the pool.<\/p>\n
Renshaw though identifies the cycle into Tokyo as the best and most consistent and especially over the past year, despite Covid.<\/p>\n
It gave her and the rest of Hemmings\u2019 group time to perfect the technical skills for which he is renowned resulting in her British record at trials and subsequent European title.<\/p>\n
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It might be the last day of the @britishswimming<\/a> \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7 Champs but we will be bringing some \ud83d\udd25 to these heats! A busy day with athletes competing in the 200 Free \/ 200 Back \/ 1500 Fr and… oh yeah @abbielouisew<\/a> & @MollyRenshaw<\/a> in the 100 Brst \ud83d\ude1b\ud83e\udd23\ud83d\udc4c pic.twitter.com\/99krOJygk3<\/a><\/p>\n
— David Hemmings (@DaveHemmingsGBR) April 18, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n