Australian breastroke swimmer Matt Wilson overcomes waterlogged goggles to seal place on Commonwealth Games team

MATT Wilson’s pre-Games training is likely to include lessons on how to tighten his goggles.

Matthew Wilson on his way to winning the 200m breastroke final at the Commonwealth Games trials.

MATT Wilson’s pre-Games training is likely to include lessons on how to tighten his goggles.

Wilson won the 200m breaststroke at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre this week to seal his place on the Commonwealth Games team.

Shading record pace for much of the swim, the Blue Mountains product finished just over a second outside Scot Ross Murdoch’s Commonwealth record but had little idea how he was travelling after his goggles filled with water from the dive.

“I’ve had no luck with my goggles. They leaked again. As soon as I hit the water, it was: ‘not again’,” Wilson said.

“I actually hit the lane rope in the last 50m.

“One goggle was filled, one goggle was right, I was going off to the side.

“It was all right, I dealt with it and went 2:08 here.

“I think I’ve just got to tighten my goggles, put them on properly.”

Perhaps Wilson should leave them alone though.

Matthew Wilson on his way to winning the 200m breastroke final at the Commonwealth Games trials.

Like blinkers on a horse, waterlogged goggles mean swimmers can see nothing around them and when it has happened to Wilson, he has produced world-class times.

“Probably (happened) three times, twice at worlds,” he said.

Wilson made the final at the world championships in Budapest last year as an 18-year-old and with his rate of improvement, hopes he can drop his time closer to Murdoch’s Commonwealth record of 2:07.30 by the Games.

“I think I’m definitely capable of 2:07, that’d be great if I got that I’d be stoked with that,” Wilson said.

“But I’ve just got to do it and see how it goes.

“There’s no point in saying it if I can’t back it up.”

The Games field will feature not only Murdoch but possibly Englishman Adam Peaty, the world record-holder in the 100m breaststroke.

And Wilson is welcoming the competition as he bids to improve at a meet he has been waiting four years for.

“I’ve been thinking about this Comm Games team since probably the last Comm Games and wanted to be here,” said Wilson, the man who proudly wears his Australian swimmer number, 788, tattooed in Roman numerals over his ribs.

“It’s a home Games, it’s going to be a massive crowd, so it’s been in my head for the last four years now.”

Originally published as Australian breastroke swimmer Matt Wilson overcomes waterlogged goggles to seal place on Commonwealth Games team