A version of this article appears in The Times, London, today.
In the midst of the clutter of Fran Halsall's cupboard at her new digs in Loughborough there's a shoe box worth far more than the green and silver kitten heels that sprang from it: along with European relay titles, records and an impressive treasury of prizes already won is a note that describes her London 2012 target and the secret stepping stones that will take her to it. "No-one gets inside that box," says the sprinter through an infectious laughter that Halsall has made her hallmark.
Like Rebecca Adlington, double Olympic champion and the most successful British woman swimmer ever, the fastest British woman in water shares a penchant for the creations of French designer Christian Leboutin. A driving passion to win, a hatred of losing and a history of hard work (and yes, one of those suits that helps and is on the skin of the sport, legally and lamentably and will be remain a footnote to all progress, however awkward that is for everyone concerned, including domestic federations who allowed it all to happen without question or comment) also bind the national teammates, who over the next five days of world-championship trials and at Sheffield's Ponds Forge pool will face their biggest test since those balmy days in Beijing.
Then, Adlington's two golds (400m and 800m freestyle) and world record in the 800m, not to mention her personality and shiny shoes, stole the show. Few noticed that Halsall, a year younger than Adlington, had become only the second teenager in history to race below 54sec over 100m freestyle (Cate Campbell, AUS, became the first a few months earlier). In doing so, she joined a 2008 top 10 club whose average age was 25. Eighth in the Olympic final, she had started the year as 32nd fastest ever. She ended it (courtesy of a speedy relay lead-off) at No 13. Lucky for some, though luck was never part of the Halsall mantra, nor Bill Sweetenham-inspired Class of 2005 Smart Track system through which her trajectory to a home Games in 2012 was plotted.
A month away from her 19th birthday, Halsall will cut a more mature figure when she steps up to race 50m and 100m freestyle and 100m butterfly at trials. Since leaving Liverpool last year, after long-time coach Colin Stripe moved from pool deck to management, she has been guided by Ben Titley, the head coach at Loughborough University charged with producing medal-winning women's relays for London 2012. "He's an amazing coach," says Halsall. Queue the next giggle. "I have to say that - he scares me a bit. No, really, he's been great. He thinks through every little thing. He's so thorough and comes up with things that I'd never have thought of. If I have a bad set he also gives me a good kick up the bum. He's a bit of a taskmaster - but I need that sometimes."
Over winter, Halsall has added three weights sessions a week, pilates and circuit training, a heftier workload that is starting to show. "I can definitely see it," says Halsall, about to crack once more. "There'll be no strapless dresses for me anymore. It'll be all bulging biceps. I might even become quite an attractive man. No, seriously, in the water, I feel stronger and I'm definitely fitter. My turns have improved and I'm repping heart-rate test sets much faster." Then it was back to biceps and chuckling. "There's no more scrawny chicken wings. I'm sure some people will notice."
The muscle around her at Loughborough has been just as important. At Liverpool, Halsall was her own toughest opponent most days. "Now I'm working with the sprint boys at Loughborough and I just get washed away. I never win a single rep in training these days ... its really irritating," she notes with a nod to a training pool of talent at the newly designated Intensive Training Centre that boasts winners of three olympic and seven world short-course medals, five Commonwealth titles and three quarters of the quartet that raced to to the European title and record in the women's 4x100m medley last year.
Over on the far side of the pool at Loughborough, coach Kevin Renshaw guides Olympic silver and bronze medallists, David Davies and Joanne Jackson and Commonwealth champion Caitlin McClatchey, Halsall's biggest opponent of late in the 100m freestyle. Within Titley's group, Halsall is pitched against backstroke ace and world short-course champion Liam Tancock, the perfect power training partner and McClatchey's partner beyond the pool. "He swims about the same time on backstroke as I go on freestyle ... it's a good match - most of the time. People challenge me every single day now. It got to me a bit at first but I've got more used to it and however much it hurts, I know it helps. But it doesn't make it easy, especially when you're as competitive as I am," says Halsall, no longer laughing. "I couldn't ask for a better set-up."
At the centre of which is Lizzie Simmonds, world short-course silver medal winner on backstroke, Olympic finalist at 17 in Beijing and Halsall's flatmate in Loughborough. "She's a little beast on freestyle too," Halsall notes. The challenge goes well beyond the pool. She and Simmonds recently moved into a new flat. Who got the bigger bedroom? "I just got the edge on that one," says Halsall, a snigger singing through her words. How? "Bribery ... I do the dishes."
The Loughborough life she loves would not have been possible without National Lottery funding through UK Sport and the fast-track programme. The amount she receives, is, she jokes, "no use for my shoe collection ... but its very helpful for everything else. I wouldn't be able to live in Loughborough or afford the petrol back home at weekends if it wasn't for the lottery. It's been a godsend."
Halsall is praying for the win in Sheffield at a British Championship that carries a title sponsor worthy of mention (British Gas will provide £15m of backing to aquatic sport until 2015): victory inside cut-off time the only guarantee of a ticket to the Eternal City (the Scottish nationals in June offer a chance to fill second berths). Her roster of 750m of racing is missing a potential medal-winning event. No 200m against Adlington? A chortle precedes: "No, I've officially retired from the 200m ... until I'm forced to do another one." Titley, with an eye on those relays, is sure to oblige.
He, along with Adlington and Halsall, will also be keeping an eye on the busiest of gathering storms: Hannah Miley, medley medallist at the world short-course championships a year ago in Manchester, is down to race nine events in Sheffield: the 200m, 400m, 800m freestyle, 100m and 200m backstroke, 200m breaststroke, 200m butterfly and her best events, the 200m and 400m medley. The road to Rome runs through Ponds Forge this morning, while the champs will provide a further nod to London 2012, serving as they do as a selection event for the European Junior Championships.
One to watch for today: women's 400m freestyle
Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington clashes with the GB teammate she shared the podium with in Beijing, Joanne Jackson, bronze medal winner. There to press both of them are Commonwealth champion Caitlin McClatchey, teenagers Miley and Jazmin Carling and fast-improving 15-year-old Anne Bochmann. Adlington, 20, will then race 200m on Tuesday and the 800m, the event in which in Beijing she broke the oldest world record in the book in Beijing, on Thursday. Jackson will be there every stroke and at each turn of the way.
