Libby Trickett just wants the Beijing Games to start

Libby Trickett just wants the Beijing Games to start

THE Olympics haven't started but I wish they were over. Not that I can't wait to compete in Beijing, but the build-up can be a stressful and anxious time.

More than anything I just want to know my results and whether I've achieved my dreams and goals.

I leave tomorrow for the final phase of my Beijing preparations with the Australian team for our training camp in Kuala Lumpur.

It seems like yesterday that we were racing at the trials, and the four years since Athens have just flown by, too.

So far I can't fault my preparation.

I feel strong, fit and healthy and I'm excited about doing the job I need to do in the next three weeks and in those nine days of racing.

I am confident I can improve on my personal best times in Beijing. I expect it will take close to world records to win.

People are talking about me as being a gold-medal favourite, but I'm trying not to pay much attention to that.
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I am confident in myself and in my abilities, but I'm never going to say, 'Yes, I will win the gold' because that would be disrespectful to my competitors.

There are so many great and exciting athletes that I will compete against – Britta Steffen, Marleen Veldhuis, Natalie Coughlin and our own Jessicah Schipper and Cate Campbell, to name just a few.

I'm not stupid enough to think if I call myself the favourite that it's going to come true. But I do know the job that I have to do.

That's the same job that's in front of the whole Australian team.