TRICKETT ALL CHILLED OUT
BEIJING, CHINA, August 9: Libby Trickett's coach says the normally emotion-charged swimmer is promisingly chilled out on the eve of her quest to become Australia's most successful Olympian.
The Athens relay gold medallist is a genuine contender for five Olympic titles at Beijing's Water Cube - enough to see her pass Ian Thorpe's record tally.
And importantly she has her feelings under control. TOM WALD & TODD BALYM AAP REPORT...
"It doesn't really feel like the Olympics here so far, it just feels like it is another meet coming up," said her coach Stephan Widmer.
"I appreciate that she feels that from within, you cannot fake that and something you cannot talk into an athlete.
"But that is how she is.
"It is good that she feels calm but now knows what is waiting ahead of her. I want to keep her that way."
Harnessing Trickett's emotions has been one of Widmer's trickiest tasks.
The measured Swiss-Australian mentor said he had found it difficult in the past to relate to Trickett's emotional demeanour.
She went to the Athens Olympics as the world record holder in the 100m freestyle and wept on seeing the Olympic pool for the first time.
Trickett went on to win a relay gold medal, then fail to reach the final of the 100m freestyle before collecting bronze in the 50m.
Widmer said she was much stronger mentally now than even when she seized five world titles last year in Melbourne.
"I used my rationality to understand her irrationability," Widmer explained.
He said that unlike most athletes, Trickett was a naturally generous person.
"It is very, very rare to find competitive people with the mixture of being very giving people as well. That is not a very common combination," he said.
Trickett opens her campaign in the heats of the 100m butterfly tomorrow where she will unveil her new kick.
"We have done just a few little things with the kick in her fly which I think created a bit more distance with the stroke and more length," he said.
"We have yet to find out whether it will apply that way," he said.
"Technically she looks good and is stronger than ever before."
In other events tomorrow, Grant Hackett begins his meet in the heats of the 400m freestyle while Stephanie Rice gets cooking in the 400m medley opening round