Roberto Pavoni aims high for the 2011 World Championships - Swimming News
Britain’s Roberto Pavoni has expressed that his focus is entirely on the upcoming 2011 Shanghai World Championships, to be held in July.
Pavoni, who is set to feature in the World Championships for the first time, earned his spot in the British team by conquering the gold medal of the 400m Individual Medley (IM) at the 2011 British Gas National Swimming Championships, which also acted as the world selection trials for British swimmers.
The British swimmer has never represented his country at the world level before and has not reached the podium at any senior international level of swimming. Nevertheless, Pavoni won the gold medal of the 400m IM at the 2008 European Junior Championships, where he also won a silver medal in the 200m butterfly and a bronze medal in the 200m IM. He also defended his title of the 400m event at the 2009 European Junior Championships.
In 2010, Pavoni earned his qualification in the British team to the European Championships and the Commonwealth Games, but failed to reach the podium at these events.
Pavoni was very happy with his Shanghai qualification and said, “I am definitely satisfied with the year so far, I am not shocked but very happy to have made the team for the World Championships and I am just looking forward to swimming in Shanghai now. The worlds are going to be another step up, I have seen pictures of the pool and of the stadium and it is absolutely huge, so I am sure it is going to be very loud.”
The 22-year-old British swimmer expressed his happiness to face the three-time Olympic gold medallist, Ryan Lochte, in his 400m event.
Pavoni added, “People like Ryan I have watched race at Olympics before and now hopefully I am going to get the chance to swim against them.”
He also said that he is very hopeful of qualifying in the final rounds of the 400m IM at the Shanghai Championships. The British swimmer is hopeful to put up a good show in Shanghai, where he will have the chance to compete against the American Olympic champion, Lochte.
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