Gemma Spofforth, world champion for Britain in the 100m backstroke last year, has used her woman's prerogative: she will, after all, race at the European Championships in Budapest in August.
After British trials in March, Spofforth declared the Commonwealth Games in Delhi for England her priority for 2010 and said that the European showcase in Hungary would not play a part in her plans as she worked for the long-ter term aim: the London 2012 Olympic Games.
But Spofforth told SwimNews and The Times (the newspaper edition of the paper is from this week only available to those who subscribe): "It's all change ... I would love to medal in Budapest ... but I always go into meet with a 'whatever happens, happens mentality and so we'll see how the meet goes."The decision was taken after talks with her coach Martyn Wilby out in Florida. They bother agreed that there was much to be gained from another showdown with European rivals.
At the helm of those is Russia's Anastasia Zueva, who set the world record in the semi-final at world championships last year only to be denied by Spofforth and another world record (two of 43 in eight days at the height of shiny suits season, through Spofforth stepped up in the same LZR racer she wore in 2008) in the final. In the hunt for medals too is Elizabeth Simmonds, who pipped Spofforth at British trials and is currently at the helm of the early 2010 world rankings with a time faster than she ever swam in any of the bodysuits now banned.
While it was "more about the perfect race than it is the perfect time", said Spofforth, she was optimistic that she could also buck the trend in slower times this year after a return to textile-only suits that are cut off above the knee: "With the suits going away I believe I am still capable of the times I went in the suit and also I am looking to better them this ."
Spofforth revealed that beyond her work as an Associate at the Alachua County Crisis Center in Florida, where she volunteers on the suicide hotline and crisis lines, she is working on book that goes by the working title "Dealing with it; two years of mourning, medals and men", the mourning part of that referring to the death of her mother, Lesley, from cancer in 2007. You can read more on Spofforth in the next edition of the LEN Magazine as she looks forward to Budapest.
Spofforth's fighting spirit is not confined to solo events. Asked whether the championships in Budapest would witness any records, given that suits now banned took the sport into uncharted waters last year, the world champion said: "Yes. Women's 4x100m medley relay." Who could she mean? The holders are Germany. The previous holders, Britain. Game on.
The British team for Budapest will be released tomorrow.
