Interview - George Bovell by Daniela Kapser Courtesy of swimsportnews.de The “Underdog” from the Caribbean dreams about his 5th Olympic Games! HEAD © He is the “one-off” in the in- biggest sporting success with ternational swim scene. a bronze medal in the 200 IM at the 2004 Athen’s Olym- George Bovell, from the pics – right behind Michael of swimming. He trained sev- During his long career, George paradise islands, Trinidad & Phelps and Ryan Lochte. Rio eral years in the USA, started was challenged from serious Tobago is not only the fastest 2016 can be his fifth Olympic as a teenager at the Bolles setbacks. Caribbean swimmer but also Games – only 12 swimmers High School in Florida – well has reached a fixed place in have reached this so far. known for their excellent In the preparation for the 2012 the worldwide elite swimming swimming program. After- London Olympic Games, he list. Meanwhile, George prefers wards, he trained at his alma had a heavy car accident – but the sprint distances. He be- mater, the University of Au- with his strong will he fought George talked with swim- longs to the elite circle of 50 m burn with David Marsh and in himself back into the 50 m sportnews about his eventful freestyle swimmers who have Berkeley with Mike Bottom. freestyle Olympic final and career and his goals for the a personal best time in a full finished with a respectable 7th next years. George Richard body and textile suit unter 22 Nowadays he trains in his place. Lycott Bovell III took part in seconds: 21,20 in a hightech homeland or sometimes in his first Olympic Games at suit and 21,51 in a jammer. Italy for example with the At the moment, George is pre- the age of 17 in Sydney 2000. ADN Swim Project in Caser- paring for the 2016 Games in There he participated in the George has been able to ta – because he likes being Rio – and he sets his goal pre- 100, 200 freestyle and 200, 400 achieve his outstanding per- challenged from other elite cisely: An Olympic medal. individual medley. Four years formances because of hard athletes and the team spirit later George celebrated his work and passion for the sport and camaraderie. 35 „My goal is an Olympic medal in the 50 m freestyle.“ After a really successful helped to put things in per- for such a long time on this Results this summer are un- season 2014, you didn’t spective and really appreciate high performance level? important to me, I am think- participate in SC Worlds in my health and vitality. Once ing bigger. Doha because of a knee you have your health you can Everyone has to do some- injury. We really hope you thing, this is what I do; the Where do you train at the recovered. How do you 24/7 job and I feel blessed to moment? Could you de- handle such a setback and enjoy the travel and excite- scribe your daily practice how are you now? »You must create ment. I never really set out to plan and routine? Who is Actually the reason I didn’t go the ideal place attend 5 Olympiads, but I go your coach? to Doha because at the same within yourself.« with the flow and this seems German swimmers would time I went up to assist my to be the direction that the be horrified and would ap- father get set up and organized flow is taking me. preciate what they have if they with everything as he rushed to begin treatment for cancer. do anything. I no longer saw What is your goal for Rio I asked myself what would be competing as a chance for 2016? On which distances the bigger medal, and I have failure but as an opportunity will you concentrate? »I swim in an no regrets. for greatness. It was an uphill I intend to compete again for old 6 lane 25 m struggle the whole time as I a medal in the 50 m freestyle. I pool once a day In 2011 you suffered a real had to restart from zero after will probably do another race serious injury caused by 7 weeks of recovery. such as the 100 m freestyle without a car crash including a or backstroke as a warm up competition bruise on your brain. For- Your first Olympic Games event beforehand. starting blocks tunately your brain healed were 2000 in Sydney, Rio and lane lines. « up and you made finals in would be your 5th Olympic What is your focus for the London. What gave you games. Only 12 swimmers 2015 season? the will and strength dur- have reached this – so far. Taking things back to basics ing this difficult time? Has Perhaps you are in good and refocussing on tech- knew. I swim alone here in this experience changed company in Rio with Mi- nique, mobility strength and Trinidad. Things are not ideal, you and your view on life? chael Phelps as five time addressing weaknesses. This which forces me to get cre- After being faced with los- Olympic swimmers. How year is about building a prop- ative. I swim in an old 6 lane ing everything I felt free to are you staying focused er foundation for next year. do and become anything. It 25 m pool once a day and am currently building back up into things after 5 weeks off. I am taking advantage of the many cross training oppor- tunities that this island offers to build a proper base of general fitness such as deep freediving (just back from a diving trip) and bodys- urfing for speedwork. I am also doing a lot of dryland, kettlebells and olympic lift- ing. I am my own coach, but I have experience behind me. Training all alone in a vacuum is unsustainable however, so as the season progresses I will look to head abroad like I usually do to join a group and get some proper coaching feedback and camaraderie as the season progresses. Swimmers like Phelps have a long time coach, psychologists, medi- cines, nutrionists, managers around them. facilities are third world Do you have a such a lacking even proper starting These swimmers participated in at least team ? blocks and lane ropes, but as I have nothing of the sort. I the season progresses I will five Olympic Summer Games: do the best I can with the very just be focusing on the gym Name Country limited resources that I have and the pool. available to me. It’s part of why Derya Büyükuncu Turkey You are a columnist for Lars Frölander Sweden the Trinidad Guardian, the “Reflections off the Mark Foster Great Britain »Being faced water”. Do you see it also João Gonçalves Filho Brazil with losing as a future job after retir- everything ing from swimming (what Mette Jacobsen Denmark we hope is in a far away helped to put future – maybe a sixth Martina Moravcová Slovakia things in Olympics?). María Peláez Spain perspective.« It’s something that I have just fallen into, not really sure Carl Probert Fiji where I want to go with it yet, Rogério Romero Brazil but I am starting to enjoy the I always feel like the underdog writing, taking some time out Alison Sheppard Great Britain and why my success is so sat- to just sit down and think. Dara Torres USA isfying personally. My goal with the column is to hopefully help someone Nina Zhivanevskaya Russia/Spain How important is variety somewhere, it it helps one in your training? It seems person then the effort would that you are doing a lot of have been worth it. running and weightlifting lately. One of your columns was Early in the season there is a about a social programme lot of cross training work out- called Esperanza that de- side the pool and in the ocean, mobilizes and integrates especially since my swimming gangs into society once 37 (it would be absolutely What challenges you be- great if you could send us sides water sports? You some photos from these posted a photo with Sir Ed- clinics!!!) mund Hillary and Tenzing Moss Burmester also Joined Norgay on twitter. Could us.‐ I tweeted an album of you imagine to ascend per- photos. The free swim clinics haps the Mount Everest? were a huge success and something I hope will con- tinue to grow year after year, »A holistic not just to help grow the sport of swimming locally but to approach is inspire the youth and to get necessary them to believe and under- to be stand that through hard work successful anything is possible. in the long run.« Bovell’s passion besides There are a lot of world swimming: Freediving. class swimmers around the age of 30 – and they I think too many people have © HEAD are very successful. Next done it. Sadly it has been to physical fitness how cheapened, these days if you important are experience have enough money Sherpas at a time in Panama. How solution would affect change and mental strength in will carry you to the top and do you see the situation of here. elite swimming? place you on the summit. I kids in Trinidad and Toba- They all go together hand in also see that as a bit of selfish go? In January you will host hand. A holistic approach is challenge. How does that con- In Trinidad there is an area some free swim clinics absolutely necessary to sus- tribute to the greater good? that is in terrible need of an with Roland Schoeman, tain long years of all out ef- One thing is for sure is that initiative like Esperaza.