ID :
109806
Thu, 03/04/2010 - 17:55
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/109806
The shortlink copeid
Jones asks mum to stay away from Delhi
Triple Olympic gold medallist Leisel Jones has ordered her mum Rosemary to stay away
from this year's Delhi Commonwealth Games because of security concerns.
The breaststroker said she was prepared to compete in India but feared for her
mother's safety outside of the secure zones for athletes at the October event.
"I would not allow her to be there and it would play on my mind if she was there,
knowing that she does not have the security that we do and would not be looked after
as much as we would," she said.
"It is always a little bit scary so I said `Mum, you can come along to the Pan Pacs
in Irvine, California (in August)'.
"You can go to Disneyland or whatever you want, but I don't want you coming to India.
"She can have her holiday earlier in the year."
The 24-year-old has clearly been in a decisive frame of mind of late.
Not only is she bossing her mum around, the three-time Olympian has committed to
swimming through to the 2012 London Games.
It is just the news that Australian swimming needs following the retirements of Ian
Thorpe, Grant Hackett and Libby Trickett in the past three-and-a-half years.
"I have made the decision to go ahead and not one foot in and one foot out the
door," Jones said ahead of this month's trials in Sydney starting on March 16.
"I am both feet in the door and moving by the head."
Jones said she was always going to be the sort of person that was out of bed early
in the morning so she might as well stick at the sport.
"Why not do it?" she said.
"I can prove my longevity in the sport. I can be the first (Australian) swimmer to
do four Olympics and that would be a great achievement.
"I am still mentally prepared for everything and focused and still enjoying my
swimming."
And there is another good reason.
She still thinks she is the best in the business after skipping last year's world
championships in Rome, the meet marred by the swimsuit wars.
"I consider myself to be the fastest and I would love the opportunity to race
against the guys coming up this year whether it be (Americans) Rebecca Soni or
Jessica Hardy or anyone," she said.
Jones has the advantage of having not competed in the super-suits last year and her
best performances came before the introduction of the controversial Speedo LZR Racer
in early 2008.
The sport has since rolled back the clock in regards to suits, leading to a fear
that it could take some time for long course world records to fall.
"I would love to go fast in these suits almost just to prove to myself it is still
possible," Jones said.
"I think a lot of it is going to be mentally what you can do so I am hoping that I
can mentally get myself past that and do really good times because all my (best)
times were done in (Speedo) FS1s (in 2006).
"People have been dreading this year, going backwards and all that sort of stuff ...
whereas I am not going backwards."
from this year's Delhi Commonwealth Games because of security concerns.
The breaststroker said she was prepared to compete in India but feared for her
mother's safety outside of the secure zones for athletes at the October event.
"I would not allow her to be there and it would play on my mind if she was there,
knowing that she does not have the security that we do and would not be looked after
as much as we would," she said.
"It is always a little bit scary so I said `Mum, you can come along to the Pan Pacs
in Irvine, California (in August)'.
"You can go to Disneyland or whatever you want, but I don't want you coming to India.
"She can have her holiday earlier in the year."
The 24-year-old has clearly been in a decisive frame of mind of late.
Not only is she bossing her mum around, the three-time Olympian has committed to
swimming through to the 2012 London Games.
It is just the news that Australian swimming needs following the retirements of Ian
Thorpe, Grant Hackett and Libby Trickett in the past three-and-a-half years.
"I have made the decision to go ahead and not one foot in and one foot out the
door," Jones said ahead of this month's trials in Sydney starting on March 16.
"I am both feet in the door and moving by the head."
Jones said she was always going to be the sort of person that was out of bed early
in the morning so she might as well stick at the sport.
"Why not do it?" she said.
"I can prove my longevity in the sport. I can be the first (Australian) swimmer to
do four Olympics and that would be a great achievement.
"I am still mentally prepared for everything and focused and still enjoying my
swimming."
And there is another good reason.
She still thinks she is the best in the business after skipping last year's world
championships in Rome, the meet marred by the swimsuit wars.
"I consider myself to be the fastest and I would love the opportunity to race
against the guys coming up this year whether it be (Americans) Rebecca Soni or
Jessica Hardy or anyone," she said.
Jones has the advantage of having not competed in the super-suits last year and her
best performances came before the introduction of the controversial Speedo LZR Racer
in early 2008.
The sport has since rolled back the clock in regards to suits, leading to a fear
that it could take some time for long course world records to fall.
"I would love to go fast in these suits almost just to prove to myself it is still
possible," Jones said.
"I think a lot of it is going to be mentally what you can do so I am hoping that I
can mentally get myself past that and do really good times because all my (best)
times were done in (Speedo) FS1s (in 2006).
"People have been dreading this year, going backwards and all that sort of stuff ...
whereas I am not going backwards."
