Cam McEvoy drops 200m freestyle from Rio repertoire

  

Swimming Australia, July 18, 2016: Cam McEvoy, who became the first swimmer in Australian Swimming history to win the 50, 100 and 200 metres freestyle at this year’s Hancock Prospecting Australian Swimming Championships in Adelaide, has made the agonising decision to drop the 200m from his Rio Olympic repertoire.

The decision came after months of consideration and consultation with his coach Richard Scarce and Dolphins National Head Coach Jacco Verhaeren.

McEvoy made the decision before leaving Brisbane for a US training camp in Auburn, Alabama last Friday.

McEvoy said: “It’s been a decision that Richard (Scarce) and I have spent a lot of time thinking about in fact I believe it was in Rich’s train of thought even before the Trials.

“It wasn’t an easy decision to make, especially seeing I have been doing the 200m freestyle internationally for so long and it has been one of my favourite and main events for my entire swimming career.

“But we have had to take a step back and look at the bigger picture of the entire week and remember that I am only human and that I do have my limitations.

“If the program was more like the World Championship years then I am sure I would not be pulling out of the 200m free.

“Unfortunately it’s not and it is on the same day as the 4x100m freestyle relay and the 4x200m is the same day as the 100m freestyle.

“The relay timing with my main events is not the best; there are great benefits for my withdrawal personally but there are great benefits for the relays too.

“I’ll be fresher for the 4x100m on day two and I’ll be able to step up and absolutely give that my all and on day four I’ll be fresher for the 4x200m as well.

“It does have a lingering effect on the relay team and I’m sure the boys in the relay team will feel for me at having to pull out but at the same time they will be excited that I will be ready and roaring to go beside them in the relay.”

Verhaeren offered the vacant 200m freestyle positions to already qualified London Olympian David McKeon, who finished third to McEvoy and Thomas Fraser Holmes (who dead-heated in the final in Adelaide) and he was quick to accept the slot.

McKeon, who will also contest the 400m freestyle and the 4x200m freestyle relay in Rio, will now join Fraser-Holmes in the individual 200m.

With the 200m freestyle in, McEvoy’s Rio program looked like this:

·         DAY 2: 200m freestyle heat and semi-final and the 4x100m freestyle

·         Day 3: 200m freestyle final

·         Day 4: 100m heat and semi-final and the 4x200m freestyle relay

·         DAY 5: 100m freestyle final

·         DAY 7: 50m freestyle heat and semi-final

·         DAY 8: 50m freestyle and 4x100m medley relay

With the 200m freestyle out, Day Two will leave McEvoy with one event - the 4x100m freestyle relay and Day Three will be a rest day.

Coach Scarce gave an insight into the decision, saying: “We have considered it over many months now and more so after the recent Brisbane Grand Prix and it’s all about keeping the program balanced throughout the week, especially with the relays being so important.

“I can see some relief for Cam now that he has made that decision.

“We have not changed anything with his training; we’ve got the 4x200m free relay which is a hugely important race. Nothing has changed there but now we are a bit more set on what we are doing for the week.

“We knew to some degree it could be a possibility (of withdrawing), but now it’s done. He has trained hard; he has been focused on doing the very best he can in every session.

“It’s an event I love and an event Cam does too and we won’t be steering away from it any time soon either.”

McEvoy said swimming the 200m was “not worth the risk in Rio” but it would definitely be an event “we will want to nail down next year and in the years to follow after that.”

“This is a year that we want to stick at what we have been training for and focus on our strengths; it still leaves me with five events and that is still a fairly big program if you count how many times I will be in the water.”

Richard Scarce and Cam McEvoy, Vince Raleigh and David McKeon and Head Coach Jacco Verhaeren will be available to talk at the July 27 Media Day in Auburn Alabama.