Hackett delivers ‘world class’ hit-out

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Grant Hackett dusted the post-Olympic cobwebs off with a pleasing cameo at the Queensland swimming titles that left a modest Chandler crowd wanting more.

Hackett delivered a self-proclaimed “world class” time of 3 minutes 50.63 seconds in the morning 400m freestyle heats before withdrawing from the evening final.

The invincible 1500m powerhouse was delighted with the effort, especially as it was his first race since the Athens Games and came in the middle of heavy training.

But training partner and ironman champion Ky Hurst, still balancing duel careers in and out of the pool, failed to give himself the same reward of a night off after a fine early effort.

Hurst qualified sixth in an admirable 4:01.95 only two days after taking out a gruelling second round of the Nutri-Grain Ironman series at Portsea.

The 23-year-old Gold Coaster intended dropping out of the 400m final like Hackett but was too slow in meeting the short post-race cut-off time to withdraw.
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He was forced to swim the final or pay a fine and ultimately laboured into second last in 4:04.66 - almost 10 seconds behind winner Nic Sprenger (3:54.73).

“It’s alright, I still wanted to swim it,” said Hurst, who maintains swimming is his priority and is targeting a 1500m berth in the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

“I needed a hit-out anyway.

“I was a bit flat in the water … but that’s OK, I’m not disappointed.

“I only got back from Melbourne last night and I wasn’t expecting to come out here and swim extremely well.”

Hackett, who has opted against competing in the 200m at this year’s world titles, revealed he intended qualifying for the relay team at the March nationals in Sydney.

The two-time 1500m Olympic champion ordained Brisbane’s Sprenger, 19, as the man to step into the shadow cast by the absence of himself and Ian Thorpe in the 200m.

“He looks great, swimming a 1:49 (Sunday) night was really good. He looks really strong in the water (and) his stroke technically looks great,” Hackett said.

Redcliffe’s Melissa Gorman (4:15.17) blitzed the field in the women’s 400m, beating Gold Coaster Meagen Nay and British visitor Lorna Tonks by several lengths.

Dual Olympic champion says he’ll swim till he’s 30

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Dual Olympic 1500-metre freestyle gold medallist Grant Hackett said on Wednesday he was keen to keep competing until he hits 30 and may even try for four straight victories at the Games.

But the 24-year-old distance swimmer, who is aiming for a third straight gold medal at Beijing in 2008, conceded it would be difficult to sustain his dominance of 1500-metres and may have to consider shorter races such as the 200 and 400 metres if he was to achieve his goal.

“Probably around 30 … I will be contemplating it (retirement),” he said at the Queensland state championships Wednesday.

“There will be no deadline about when it will be but (30), give or take a bit, you never know.

“I’m not sure if my focus will be on the 15 (1500-metres) after 2008, I might want to try and focus on the two and four and see how well I can go there.”

Hackett maintained he was as hungry as ever — particularly due to the challenge presented by American Larsen Jensen and Briton David Davies in the 1500-metres — and was primed for another concerted four-year build-up to Beijing.

“My motivation feels no different now as it did before the Olympics,” he said.

“I train every bit as hard and put everything I can, make the same sacrifices and still have the intention to improve all the way to the end of my career.”

Grant Hackett takes plunge with Melbourne girl

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GRANT Hackett has started 2005 with a new goal, a new girl and a “pressure’s off” attitude.

The 24-year-old Olympic gold medallist, who appeared for a heat swim on day three of the Queensland championships yesterday, showed off a new girlfriend, singer Candice Alley, 22.

Swimming’s golden boy and the blonde Melbourne beauty have been an item since Hackett saw her perform at the Telstra Swimmer of the Year Awards in Melbourne on November 29.

A single Hackett vowed back in August 2004 that his first priority, after the Olympics, was to find a girlfriend.

It appears that goal has now been achieved, as the pair shared a kiss before Hackett trained.

Alley spent the afternoon talking to Denis Cotterell — Hackett’s long-time coach.

After a gruelling Olympic campaign, the world and Olympic 1500m champion said he had a much more carefree attitude towards this year’s swimming schedule.

Hackett tips defeat in 1500m at worlds

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Olympic and world champion Grant Hackett says he does not expect to dominate the 1500m at this year’s world championships.

Hackett has not been beaten over the distance in eight years, having won three world titles and two Olympic gold medals in the period as well as holding the fastest time in history.

But having taken 10 weeks off after shrugging off a collapsed lung to win the event at the Athens Olympics last August, Hackett told The Daily Telegraph from the Queensland championships that his focus is longer term than the world titles in Montreal.

“Those guys only had a week off after the Olympics and I had a 2½ month break,” Hackett said of the likes of American Larsen Jensen and Briton David Davies, who took silver and bronze behind him in Greece.

“You have to think that those guys are the favourites. They have got straight back into it. They’re keen, they’re eager, whereas I have had more of a break and am in a different part of my career. My focus is Beijing. I’m thinking long term.”

Hackett’s coach Denis Cotterell supported the view that the 2008 Olympics are more important.

“You have to understand that others in the event have moved ahead,” said Cotterell. “But I also think he is being very pragmatic. In a sense, it makes it easier for him to deal with.”

I can’t win: Hackett

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THERE is a nasty rumour going around that Grant Hackett could lose a 1500m freestyle race for the first time since 1997 at this year’s world championships.

The person who started it, strangely, is Hackett himself.

The reigning world and Olympic champion made the surprise admission during yesterday’s Queensland championships at Chandler.

A two-month post-Olympic break, combined with a couple of hungry “wannabes” biting at his ankles, has the Gold Coaster relinquishing his odds-on favourite status in his pet event at the world titles in July.

Coming from a racehorse owner who is a familiar face around the odd racetrack, he knows a thing or two about betting odds.

The 24-year-old swimmer has named Olympic silver medallist Larsen Jensen, of the US, or British bronze medallist David Davies as the leading chances to snaffle the title - at least until the next world championships in 2007.

“Those guys only had a week off after the Olympics and I had a 2½ month break,” said Hackett.

“You have to think that those guys are the favourites.

“They have got straight back into it. They’re keen, they’re eager, whereas I have had more of a break and am in a different part of my career.

“My focus is Beijing. I’m thinking long term.”

Hackett’s coach Denis Cotterell agreed his charge would struggle to retain his world title in Montreal.

But he cited an element of pragmatism in Hackett’s relaxed acceptance of a minor placing in his pet event for the first time in eight years.

“You have to understand that others in the event have moved ahead,” said Cotterell.

“But I also think he is being very pragmatic.

“In a sense, it makes it easier for him to deal with.”

One consolation for Hackett may be his first chance to win a world 400m freestyle title in the absence of Olympic champion Ian Thorpe, who is likely to bypass the world titles.

Hackett showed his form in that event at the Queensland titles yesterday.

He cruised to a heat time of 3min 50.63s - 10s off Thorpe’s world mark - but withdrew from last night’s final.

Time for Sprenger to shine as Hackett winds down

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Grant Hackett will miss the 200 metres freestyle at the world championships in July, leaving a gap in the Australian men’s swimming team for one of the sport’s showpiece races.

In what may be a pointer to the future, Hackett will concentrate on his pet event, the 1500 metres freestyle. “I can confirm that Grant will not be swimming the individual 200m free at the worlds this year,” Hackett’s manager Lisa Stallard said yesterday.

With six-time world record-holder Ian Thorpe hinting he might spend as much as a year away from the sport, it will be up to people such as emerging talent Nicholas Sprenger to maintain Australia’s record in the event.

“It is certainly a good opportunity for one of our younger swimmers,” Swimming Australia CEO Glen Tasker said.

“Obviously the 200m freestyle is one of the most sought-after positions in our team.

“If Grant and Ian are not swimming it, it’s a great opportunity for Nicholas to step up.”

Tasker said Swimming Australia supported Hackett’s decision to withdraw from the event if it would prolong his 1500m career. “Every athlete has to make decisions,” he said.

“You look at Shane Warne. He made the decision to retire from one-day cricket to concentrate on his Test career.

“It’s not not unusual for athletes to do this when they are competing at the top level.

“When you are competing in a marathon race, which is what the 1500m freestyle is, like Grant, you need to do what it takes to maintain a high standard.

“We are very supportive of his decision and we want him to take whatever measures to ensure he wins a third [Olympic] gold medal in the event, which has never been done.” Thorpe and Hackett were Australia’s stand-out male swimmers at the 2004 Olympic Games, winning three gold medals between them.

But Tasker believes a new generation of men is ready to lift and will not pass up the opportunity at the world championships.

“When you take Grant and Ian out of the 200, the whole race becomes more competitive, as they are so much better than the rest of the field,” he said.

“We might see someone like Michael Phelps or Pieter van den Hoogenband come into their own. Our young athletes will certainly step up.”

Now, Paris Hilton sets sights on Olympic swimming hunks!:-

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Sexy socialite Paris Hilton seems to have a new sporty addition to her pals list after being spotted enjoying herself in the company of Olympic-swimming legends.

The hotelier not only rocked the Gold Coast at the weekend with Ian Thorpe and his teammates but was also spotted drinking and dancing with Grant Hackett, Gian Rooney, Michael Klim and Matt Welsh at Palazzo Versace.

The Olympic swimming team was at Gold Coast for a lockdown camp in preparation for Athens, reports news.com

Thorp and Hilton were spotted again the following night in bars along Surfers Paradise’s nightclub strip. (ANI)