Australia are without their world beaters Ian Thorpe and Grant Hackett but South Africa will have their two inspirational team leaders in this week’s swimming at the Commonwealth Games, team coach Dirk Lange said on Tuesday.
The Australian men, although swimming before home crowds, look vulnerable for the first time at a Commonwealth Games in over 20 years and the South Africans believe their time has come.
”Australia are short of two leaders, but we have our two leaders here in Ryk Neethling and Roland Schoeman,” Lange said.
”I believe South Africa’s men’s team is our best ever and we are looking at winning a couple of medals here,” he said.
With 200m world record holder Thorpe out of action with a respiratory illness, the South Africans are looking at cleaning up in the sprints and the freestyle relay, once Australia’s domain.
”Their attitudes, their preparation, their approach to what we do is a new way of thinking for them and we will see some great things from South Africa,” Lange said.
”We are not looking at any other country apart from Australia. We are targeting Australia, they are the best.”
On rankings, Schoeman and Neethling are primed to sweep through the 50-100-200m freestyle events and Lange is confident of a big swim from Mark Randall in the 1Â 500m.
Ranked second in the Commonwealth behind Welshman David Davies with Hackett not competing, Randall and Davies look to have the 30-lap race between them.
South Africa shocked the swimming world when they won the 100m freestyle relay gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics in world record time and they are keen to lower their record here.
”We are all friends and we have the similar feelings we had in Athens, so a world record is definitely our target and we are capable of achieving it,” Neethling said.
”People underestimated us in Athens and all the guys are good so there is no weak link in the relay team.
”Maybe it scared some people, surprised some others, but it’s the beginning of something great for South African swimming.
”We believe we can win races and are building up to the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.
”The relay on the opening night will be a good start for us.”
Neethling said there will be no problem swimming before a partisan Australian crowd.
”I think [the Australian crowd] is just going to inspire us more. To walk out and be it 10Â 000 Americans or 10Â 000 Canadians at world championships, or 10Â 000 Australians cheering for their guy.
”That’s what gets me excited, that’s why I swim. It’s just going to pump us up more.” – AFP
