Gemma Spofforth’s back on top again after finding clear blue water

 
Fast and furious: Gemma Spofforth pushes off before winning the 100metres backstroke final at the British Championships on Monday
7 March 2012

As Gemma Spofforth lies in bed tonight, she will close her eyes and visualise every detail of tomorrow morning’s heat of the 200metres backstroke.

She will imagine her entry in the water, each stroke, her three underwater turns and, in her mind, touching ahead of all her British rivals at the Olympic Aquatics Centre as she did in the final of the 100m backstroke on Monday night.

In the past, her mind has been clouded the night before her races. But there was clarity in Rome on the eve of the 100m World Championship three years ago where she broke the world record and won gold and that was the case again as she lay down the night before the final of the same event at the Olympic trials.

“I need to see the race and not lose focus and I’ve not been able to do that,” she said. “Here, my whole thought process was to be the first to touch. At the Beijing Olympics, I didn’t do that. I focused on what was going to happen at the finish rather than the finish itself.”

She blames that thought process for costing her a medal — she was just four hundredths of a second behind bronze medallist Margaret Hoelzer, of the United States, in that Olympic final.

The fact Spofforth will have another shot at the Olympics is remarkable. For a week at Christmas, she had effectively given up swimming.

But having put in the long hours and with just a few months to go until London 2012 she decided to give it another shot, although before her 100m backstroke final at the British Championships was not convinced of her chances of Olympic qualification.

“I’ve struggled the whole year,” she said. “I had a lot of doubt and the confidence was knocked out of me. But on Monday night, I decided that if I didn’t qualify this would be my last 100m backstroke race ever. So I gave it everything as I felt I owed it to my career.”

Those exertions were enough as she was duly crowned British champion and will race the event again before closing the curtain on her career.

Looking back on that win, she said: “I’d forgotten how much I loved swimming until that race. Swimming’s a very selfish sport so I’d tried to do well for other people, my coach and family. I got a lot of pleasure swimming for them. But for the first time here I think like I’m finally swimming for myself.”

Spofforth’s mental approach to the sport has changed markedly. Previously she admits she swam angry, her emotions bubbling up following the death of her mother from bowel cancer five years ago and the subsequent death of her mother’s partner last year.

“I swum a little angry again on Monday,” said Spofforth. “But I’ve become a lot healthier as a person. I’ve healed and talking about my mum has almost become spiel — I’ve said it so much so it’s become less emotional.”

Spofforth kept a diary through her mother’s illness and after her death and is penning a book she hopes to have published after the Games. “I want other people in similar situations to know they’re not alone,” added the 24-year-old, who aims to enter a career in counselling after the Games.

Having already qualified for one event at what will be her swimming swansong, Spofforth feels a massive sense of relief and is hopeful of swimming even better in the 200m.

She said: “I know that I have a big 200m in me. I need to make sure I don’t overthink and just let myself go.”

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