Swim great Emily Seebohm to travel abroad to lay foundations for Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games

Champion Australian swimmer Emily Seebohm will compete in two overseas FINA Swim Series and also train in Tokyo this year with a view to laying the foundations for a tilt at yet more Olympic Games’ medals in Japan in 2020.

Champion Australian swimmer Emily Seebohm will compete in two overseas FINA Swim Series and also train in Tokyo this year with a view to laying the foundations for a tilt at yet more Olympic Games’ medals in Japan in 2020.

Seebohm, who later this year will have the chance to become the first female 200m backstroker to win three successive world championships, said the decision to go abroad was all part of familiarising herself with Asia and racing likely competitors ahead of the Games.

“I am racing the FINA swim series (in China and Budapest) which is just after the (national) trials,’’ Seebohm said.

Brisbane swim great Emily Seebohm.

“In between China and Budapest I will go to Toyko and train with Energy Standard.

“Just that experience of travelling through Asia and doing things a bit different (will help).

“For example you don’t get the same type of food you get here, so it is all about adjusting to that. “That all helps.’’

Punctuating her training and competitive swimming abroad will be the world championships in South Korea (July 12-25).

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Seebohm said she will know more about he chances of a historic 200m backstroke triple treat later in the year.

“I will get to readjust (aims) a lot after I get to swim that FINA Swim Series because that will be my first competition of the year,’’ the past student of St John Fisher College said

“I will also be racing people that I will probably be racing in South Korea (world championships), so it (her aims for the world titles) will be based off that as to what I can do.

“But I have not set any limits as to what I can do.

“I would love to achieve that, it would be fantastic, but obviously I have to take my time and see what is realistic.’’

Hendra’s Emily Seebohm is also a past student of St John Fisher College

Seebohm was speaking at the National Cricket Centre in Albion where Australia’s best backstrokers were doing crossing training organised by her Brisbane Grammar head coach David Lush. Lush is also running the Swimming Australia’s Backstroke National Event camp in Brisbane this week.

“I love crossing training,’’ Seebohm said in reference to the cricket training.

“I add a lot of different things into my program.

Swimmer Emily Seebohm batting this morning at the National Cricket Centre. (AAP Image/Darren England)

“Having a horse I do horse riding, I do different gym programs, studio pilates, pole fitness so I like to mix my program up.

“For me this (cricket training) is extremely fun.’’

Lush said the aim of the camp’s visit to the cricket centre was to show his athletes the “athlete led environment’’ at Cricket Australia.

Emily Seebohm doing her backstroke. (Photo by Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images)

“Cricketers take accountability for their own development,’’ he said, which was in contrast to swimming where coaches take a leading hand.

“I think by being here we can have a bit of fun and we can mix with other elite athletes, other elite coaches and explore and have some really strong dialogue around are you being accountable over the next 500 days toward Tokyo.’’

The camp included rising Brisbane Girls Grammar past student Minna Atherton, the training partner of Seebohm at Brisbane Grammar Swim Club.