Olympic great Jodie Henry rates the chances of Aussie swimmers ahead of the Rio Olympics

SHE dazzled in the pool at the 2004 Athens Olympics and now former golden girl Jodie Henry believes the Aussie swimmers have the capacity to follow her lead.

Former John Paul College student Mitch Larkin is one of Australia’s medal favourites in the swimming. Picture: CAMERON TANDY

AUSTRALIAN swimming great Jodie Henry was the princess of the pool at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Twelve years after her dazzling performances, she has cast her eyes over the Australian Dolphins and predicted the team’s slick freestyle contingent will lead the nation’s charge in the opening days of the Olympics.

Henry, who at the peak of her powers beat the likes of Ian Thorpe, Grant Hackett and Petria Thomas to Australian Swimmer of the Year honours, backed the Dolphins to deliver on the biggest stage.

“Cate (Campbell) has looked amazing in the lead up to Rio so hopefully she can take that into the Games,” said Henry, a former Springwood State High School student said.

“(Alicia) Coutts will bring some experience to the team and she performed strongly in London.

“We’ve got such a good freestyle contingent going.

“You can’t control your competitors in swimming, all you can do is concentrate on your race and see what happens.”

Henry also marvelled at Larkin, the world backstroke 100m and 200m champion.

Larkin and Coutts were both strong performers at the London 2012 Olympic Games and their experience will be crucial for younger members of the squad, such as former John Paul College student Keryn McMaster.

“I’m excited. It is hard to keep that relaxed feel,” McMaster said.

“But I’ve got people like Mitch on the team who’ve already been there and all I’ve got to do is talk to them and see how they went at the last one and it makes me feel so much better.”

Larkin, a fellow former John Paul College student, said he felt better prepared for Rio having Olympic experience under his belt.

“London for me, I just went over there trying to get as much experience as I could and take in as much as I could,” he said.

“You hear stories but until you actually get over there and experience it, there’s still that daunting unknown. For me this time around, I feel a lot more comfortable going in.”

Rio will be a last hurrah for Coutts, the five-time medal winner in London who has announced she will retire after the Games.

“She knows how to race and how to get her head in the right place before her events,” Alicia’s mother Julie Coutts said.

“She never talks about coming home with a medal, she just always says she’s going to go and do her best and see what happens.

“I always get so nervous watching her. I’m just so proud of her dedication and achievements.”