James Magnussen happy to enter the 2012 London Olympics as hot favourite – Swimming News
The 100m freestyle world champion, James Magnussen of Australia has expressed happiness over being the hot favourite swimmer for the 100m event at the forthcoming 2012 London Olympic Games.
The 20-year-old Magnussen, who recently stunned the arena with his fascinating 48.05 seconds effort in the 100m freestyle at the South Australian Swimming Championships last month, will compete in the 50m, 100m and 200m freestyle at the next week’s New South
Wales State Championships.
Magnussen, whose stardom started after he clinched national title of the 100m event followed by the same at the 2011 Shanghai World Championships, believed that his dazzling early-season effort would send a startling message to his worldwide competitors.
Not to mention, his strongest contenders include world record holder, Brazil’s Cesar Cielo Filho and his teammate and former Australian champion, Eamon Sullivan.
Other than that, one should not underestimate the gruelling attempts of five-time Olympic champion and Australian comeback king, Ian Thorpe, who is struggling hard to confirm his spot in the Australian team by qualifying for the 4*100m freestyle relay, for
which he would have to rank in the top four Australian swimmers.
Furthermore, the Australian star will contend Sullivan in all three freestyle events at the NSW Championships, starting from February 10. Magnussen also stated that he might not be the top choice of bookies to win 100m gold at the Olympics, but he is prepared
to upset his rivals at the mega stage of sports.
“There's a lot of factors that go into an Olympics preparation and Olympic campaign that bookmakers may not take into consideration but at this stage it's just exciting to be the favourite heading into an Olympics,” said Magnussen.
“That market, to my knowledge, has shortened since the swim in Adelaide but I'm sure if some other swimmers from other places in the world came out and had some really good races in the next couple of weeks then the odds would change,” he added.
With almost one month left in the Australian Selection Trials for the London Olympics, Magnussen seems to be right on track, but it would be interesting to see him qualify for the Olympics in the 50m and 200m freestyle.
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