Alicia Coutts has ‘pushed herself to absolute limit’ in preparation for final Olympics

AUSSIE swimmer Alicia Coutts knows she’s left nothing in the tank for her third Olympic Games and there was almost television footage to prove it.

Alicia Coutts is hoping to end her swimming career in style.

ALICIA Coutts knows she’s left nothing in the tank for her third Olympic Games and there was almost television footage to prove it.

The ironwoman of the London Olympics who equalled swimming greats Shane Gould and Ian Thorpe by winning five medals at a single Games has fought back from the brink of retirement to qualify for the 200m medley and 4x100m freestyle relay in Rio.

It most definitely will be her third and final Olympics. Her last ever swim meet before blissful retirement.

But there’s no chance Coutts will be accused of treating her last Olympics like a farewell tour as some swimmers were considered to have done four years ago, she has nothing but a steely resolve in her eyes.

Alicia Coutts is hoping to end her swimming career in style.

It’s why when a Sunrise television crew came to her Canberra training session one June morning they almost secured vision of Coutts that would’ve gone viral.

“Definitely I know that I’ve been doing everything I can, pushing myself to the absolute limit,” Coutts said.

“I almost passed out twice at training. I did some filming with Sunrise and they were filming my main set and at one stage I thought, ‘I’m going to vomit, I’m going to vomit all over myself and this is not going to look good on TV.’

“Sitting on the side of the pool after my main set I didn’t even have the energy if I wanted to do it in the water. I was just going to vomit all over my swim suit.

“I know that I’ve given it everything so I can’t be disappointed with that.”

From a five event program in London four years ago, Coutts has just the one individual swim in the 200m medley and as the fifth-ranked 100m freestyler she is fighting for a chance to be part of the 4x100m freestyle relay team that are possibly Australia’s most secure gold medal of the entire Games.

But it’s in the 200m medley where Coutts could provide a real shock. Her time of 2:09.95 from the April trials is the sixth fastest this year but with less than half a second of improvement she can seriously push for a podium result in Rio.

“Not racing last year with my injury and stuff, you know, I just really want to go in and enjoy it,” she said.

“This is my last Olympics, my last competition ever, I just really want to go and finish on an exciting time and just enjoy the experience.

“Last year I wasn’t even thinking I’d be here this year. I guess to once again claw my way back it’s a good feeling and I’m just glad I didn’t give up when it got hard again.

“I’m just glad I’ve given myself the best opportunity to finish on a happy, positive note.

“I’m not going in and saying ‘I’m going to medal’ or anything like that.

“If I medal, awesome, fantastic, and it’s the best way I could ask to go out.

“If I don’t, I know I’ve given my career everything I’ve got and I will be moving on to new things.”

Originally published as Alicia Coutts has ‘pushed herself to absolute limit’ in preparation for final Olympics