Delhi 2010 CWG Review

Well my Commonwealth Games journey has come to an unexpected end. I came to this competition in the best mental and physical shape of my life and had high expectations of myself. Unfortunately these were not translated into the results and times in the pool I had hoped for. I have gained plenty of experiences from this competition, not all of them positive, and will now take a break from swimming after a very demanding competition and season.

The competition started well for me, with the 100 breaststroke on day 2. The heat swim was a little groggy but that was to be expected for my first swim of the meet, but I did what I needed to do and made it back for the semi finals that evening on 1.02.89 finishing 11th. The semi final was a massive improvement and represented my second fastest 100 ever, and only the second time I have broken the 1.02 barrier. Unfortunately this was not good enough for me to get through to the final, my time of 1.01.84 placing me joint 10th. I was disappointed not to make the final, but it was my first international semi final and the 100 is not my preferred event, but I was pleased with the time and the fact that I had held my own on an international stage. Things were looking good for the 200 breaststroke.

Unfortunately from there things started to get worse. The next day I started to exhibit the symptoms of the infamous ‘delhi belly’ – stomach cramps, headaches and severe diarrhoea, despite the rigorous hygiene routine that Team England had in place to try to prevent this eventuality. The following morning I had gotten out of bed to use the bathroom, after that I do not remember a lot, as the next thing I know I am being shaken awake by my room mate on the floor of the bedroom. I had collapsed and passed out on my way back to bed and my room mate had discovered me unconscious on the floor. The doctor was immediately sought and I was carried to my bed. I had lost a lot of blood pressure through dehydration, which had caused me to collapse and lose consciousness when I had stood up and started to move around. I was kept under doctors supervision for the next 36hours and did not venture near a pool during that time, rather focused my energies on trying to get better and eating and drinking what I could manage. After a day and a half of bed rest, my coach and I decided that I was well enough to do a small paddle of about 1k at the pool. I also needed to see the physio as during my collapse I had landed awkwardly on my hip and my head, causing my neck and pelvis to become very sore and restrict movement. After my paddle I felt exhausted, it had taken a lot more out of me than it should. I saw the physio and they managed to loosen the effected areas and restore some range of movement, even though it was still painful to move. I went to bed that night, still with delhi belly, but with a positive attitude and hopes that it would be OK on race day the following day.

I went in to the 200 breaststroke ranked 3rd in the Commonwealth, and I had fully intended on contending for a medal in the final. However despite my best preparations and efforts, I was unable to make it past the morning heats. My time of 2.16.83 placing me 11th. I had felt good for the first 100 metres and was leading the race. Normally from this position I finish really strongly and  rarely lose places on the backend. However I had nothing left in the tank and after 125m I started to fade, eventually finishing 3rd in my heat. I knew instantly that I would not make it through to the final and was devastated . At the end of the day I put everything I had into that race and it took a lot for me to stand up and race after everything that had happened in the previous two days. I am proud that I stood up and tried my best, but equally I am heartbroken that after 13months of training, come the time, I was unable to produce the race I knew I was capable of, regardless of the circumstances.

Sport is a roller coaster, with so many ups and downs, and unfortunately this past week has not been one I shall look back on fondly. After this week I have been left heartbroken by the sport that I love, and it has been tough. I will use my time away from the pool during my break to consider my options and my future in swimming and hope that I can rediscover my love for the sport.