Trickett Eyes London 2012
2008-09-14
Craig Lord
The Olympic butterfly champion has decided to race on and will face freestyle nemesis Britta Steffen in Rome next summer

 

Libby Trickett, nee Lenton, wants to race on until London 2012. Olympic 100m butterfly champion, Trickett arrived in Beijing and left the Olympic city as world record holder in the 50m and 100m freestyle but the crowns went to German rival Britta Steffen.

"The goal for me is definitely 2012," Trickett told Australia's Channel Nine. "Probably after the (Beijing) Olympics I had to make a decision whether I did want to go on or not and I still feel like I have more to give in the sport and I have more to achieve. That is what is driving me and obviously four years is a very long time. You never know what is going to happen in those four years. But I think I have more to give. I would love to be one of the swimmers to have achieved a third Olympics."

Steffen has already confirmed her intention to target world titles in Rome next summer but has hinted that she is likely to retire before London 2012. The world crowns belong to Trickett, who will want to retain the prizes on the way to what would be her third Games.

Asked if the impending arrival of domestic butterfly rival Jess Schipper at Stephan Widmer's programme made her a little nervous, Trickett said: "I will be honest. Yeah, of course. I have never personally come across a situation like this and it will be very, very challenging to say the least. I am an incredibly competitive person and to have that day to day will definitely be challenging at times and it will be interesting to see how it works out. But it is also very exciting at the same time to try and create an even greater competition."