Madison Wilson warns Olympic rivals that her training times prove she’s ready to rule Rio

MADISON Wilson issued a warning to her backstroke rivals in Rio, declaring her training was “a lot faster” than last year when she was a shock world titles silver medallist.

Madison Wilson’s training times suggest she is a serious threat for a medal in Rio.

MADISON Wilson has issued an Olympic warning to her backstroke rivals, declaring her training was “a lot faster” than last year when she was a shock silver medallist at the world titles.

The Australian team got their first look at the Olympic venue with a training session in Rio on Tuesday, as hopes build of strong performance from the rebuilt Dolphins.

Wilson stands as one of the biggest threats to Emily Seebohm fulfilling her Olympic destiny in Rio, as the towering Brisbane backstroker has the potential for big improvements if her training times are any indication.

The 22-year-old was hot on Seebohm’s heels at last year’s world titles when she thought she raced above her training level, but now she has lifted her game at her workouts the results are set to show on the stopwatch in Rio.

“My times going into worlds last year were fast but I think maybe I was racing faster than my training so all my training times have come down a lot,” Wilson said.

“I think now they’re faster than what I should be racing so it’s just trying to do a PB (personal best) and get my best out at the Olympics this year.

“All of our sets that we’ve done the last couple of weeks we’ve done what we’ve done last year and compared it to last year and they were a lot faster.

“It’s exciting but there is a lot more to racing than just having good training under your belt, there is heaps that is mental and this is my first Olympic Games so I’ve got to be able to deal with the pressure and stay relaxed and calm.”

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Wilson has worked with team psychologist Georgia Ridler to prepare herself for the insanity that is the Olympic environment as rookies can easily get swept up in the circus that is village life.

She felt the nerves at the Olympic trials going in as world No. 2, worried she might miss the team with five Australian woman going sub 60s. Now she is on the team the pressure is off and she can just let it go in Rio.

“I didn’t swim to my capability at trials this year. I really felt a lot of pressure. I was nervous and just really wanted to get on the team,” she said.

“I definitely put a lot of pressure on myself being second in the world last year to be on this team and now that I’m on I just feel so much better, so much more relaxed and so much more excited to be able to race.”

And it’s not like Wilson is a total Olympic rookie. About three weeks before she left Australia she conducted a “mini Olympics” at the Children’s Hospital where she volunteers every week as a send-off from the kids she tries so hard to make smile on a daily basis.

“I just think being able to do something outside of the pool and something that means something to someone else. That is a really special feeling and you can’t describe it,” Wilson said.

“The feeling of lining up behind the blocks I can’t really describe what that’s like but knowing people are going to support me, Australia is going to be cheering for us so then to go back and support someone else in Australia is a really special feeling and makes me feel like I’m giving back.”

Originally published as Madison Wilson warns Olympic rivals that her training times prove she’s ready to rule Rio