21 May 2009
David Davies, the Be Number 1 swimmer who won a memorable silver medal in the inaugural men's Olympic 10km open-water discipline in Beijing last year, has opted to focus on pool events at the World Championships in Rome in July.

The 24-year-old Welshman, who also won Olympic bronze in the 1,500m freestyle in Athens five years ago, is hoping to complete his full house of Olympic medals with gold at the London Games three years from now. Whether he tries to achieve that goal in the 1,500m, the 10km open-water or both, though, remains to be seen, with a decision being made after the Commonwealth Games in Delhi next year.

Davies had considered swimming the open-water event in Rome, but will instead compete in the 400m and the 1,500m, which should provide a more accurate barometer of whether his emphasis in training on strength and speed has paid dividends. In Beijing, the pool disciplines took place before the marathon event whereas the 10km open-water contest in Rome will occur five days before the 400m and 10 days before the 1,500m.

"It wasn't an easy or quick decision to make," Davies commented. "I've changed a lot of things this year, the aim being to get quicker and stronger. I wanted to check my progress on that. But if I do a 10km a week before the pool in Rome, it won't be a proper check, a true test."

The open-water event, which is noted for its rough-house tactics, is most certainly not being pushed to one side, however. After Rome, Davies will compete in several rounds of the Fina World Cup series.

Davies, who was competing in only his third 10km race ever when he claimed silver in Beijing, said: "I'm still ticking the boxes on learning the ropes in open water, and ticking boxes on improving my speed and strength. The big decision will be taken after the Commonwealth Games when it comes down to what to go for in London 2012."