Hackett keen on endurance race

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Australia’s Olympic and world champion Grant Hackett says he is interested in competing in the 10km open water race at the 2008 Olympics.

Hackett, who won gold in the 1500m at the last two Olympics, wants the race to take place after the pool races are over to give swimmers time to prepare.

“A lot of 1500m swimmers around the world would love to compete in an open water race,” he said.

“I’d love to compete if it is in the second week. It’s another challenge.”

Hackett said he would lobby the International Olympic Committee and swimming’s governing body FINA to delay the event until a convenient time in the Olympic schedule.

“Currently every swimmer has got two events at Olympic level except distance swimmers,” he said.

“Distance swimmers have only one opportunity to compete and show their skills and their hard efforts put in to prepare for endurance races.”

Hackett eyeing 10km

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Grant Hackett says he wants to attempt to swim in the 10km open water race in the 2008 Olympics, but it will depend on the schedule.

The three-time 1500m Olympic champion wants to show his wares in the longer event in Beijing and will appeal to the International Olympic Committee to run the race in the second week of the Games after the pool schedule has been completed.

“I would love to compete in the 10km if it is in the second week (of the Olympic program),” Hackett told AFP.

“It is certainly just another challenge to add to my program.”

Hackett believes he won’t be the only pool swimmer keen to swim in the open-water race and is confident that the IOC will ensure the race is at an appropiate time.

“This would not only interest me but a lot of 1500m swimmers around the world would love to compete in an open water race,” he said.

“Distance swimmers have only one opportunity to compete and show their skills and their hard efforts put in to prepare for endurance races.

“It would be in the best interest for the IOC and FINA to put the race in the second week and allow endurance swimmers of the pool to have an opportunity to compete.”

Despite his enthusiasm, Hackett insists his main focus will be on his busy program in the pool.

“I would not do anything to sacrifice my 1500m, 400m, 200m or the 4×200m relay races or any pool events for that matter,” said Hackett.

“I would just keep my focus on the 1500m and hope that is enough to cover the distance that is required to be at the fast end of the pace.

“You never know what could happen, we are talking about a race in three years.”

Hackett may hit open water

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DUAL Olympic 1500m freestyle champion Grant Hackett will consider adding the new 10km open water event to his 2008 Beijing Games program.

The announcement today that men’s and women’s 10km open water races would be staged at the Beijing Games, four years earlier than expected, saw leading Australian exponents Brendan Capell, Josh Santacaterina and Trudee Hutchinson shelving early retirement plans to continue on to 2008.

But the party will be tempered somewhat with the news Hackett, the world’s greatest distance swimmer, will consider tackling the race if it fits into his already hectic schedule.

Coach Denis Cotterell will discuss the event with Hackett this week, then cast it aside until a later date to focus on the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

“We will talk about it then put it on the backburner and not even consider it or change anything,” Cotterell said.

“I don’t even want him thinking about Beijing at the moment.

“He will have an interest on the side and then we will look at it in 18 months to two years.

“Until things get closer and everything is scheduled, it is something we might not consider properly until a year out.

“It is too many ifs at this stage. We don’t want any other thoughts to distract the simplicity of what we are doing now.”

Scheduling is the biggest hurdle likely to stop Hackett from contesting both open water and pool races in China.

There is no doubt the pool is his main objective, Hackett will not do anything to jeopardise his quest for an historic third consecutive 1500m gold medal.

But he may take the plunge if the open water is held after the first-week’s pool events - and Australia’s trials are scheduled favourably.

“We have to look at when the trials are held and, if it fits in, that he can do a 10k swim,” Cotterell said.

“It is also whether Grant wants to have a crack at it.

“He could do a good one, I have no doubt about it.”

Former world 5km champ Capell, Santacaterina and Hutchinson all reconsidered their retirement dates today when told of the event’s inclusion in the Olympics.

“It’s pretty awesome,” Capell said.

“There has always been talk about open water being in the Olympics but I never thought it would be 2008.

“I thought maybe 2012 but over the last little while we had heard it was a chance.

“It means a lot of hard work but the chance to become an Olympian will make it all worthwhile.”

Hutchinson finished fifth at the world championships in Montreal earlier this year, just seven seconds off the gold medal.

She, like Capell and Santacaterina, had previously planned to retire after the 2007 world championships in Melbourne..

“The possibility of going to the Olympics will certainly keep me going until 2008,” she said today.

“It is so exciting for the sport.

“It will hopefully mean more profile, more funding and attract more people to the sport.

“I think we all thought it would be in for 2012 ? but to have it for 2008 is just awesome.”

The news was also met with great excitement by Australia’s original distance swimming queen, Shelley Taylor-Smith.

Taylor-Smith, the first official open water world champion in 1991, led the campaign for the inclusion of open water swimming at the Olympics in her role as the secretary for the FINA Open Water committee.

“I could not stop crying for an hour, I was so excited,” Taylor-Smith said.

“You know what it’s like when you dream and dream about something and then one day you wake up and it’s true.

“It’s like women’s water polo getting into the Olympics for Sydney.”