Swimming: Backstroker warms to his task after chilling out

Gareth Kean. Photo / Getty Images

Backstroker Gareth Kean felt a shiver run down his spine when he leaped into the Delhi Commonwealth Games pool - it was a degree or two colder than he is used to.

Not that it bothers the in-form Wellingtonian, who turns 20 tomorrow - the prospect of swimming for New Zealand at the Games already had his spine all tingling.

"I've checked out the pool. I'm pretty happy with it - a bit colder than home but it'll hopefully warm up. It's not a big deal," said the 1.94m tall Kean.

He had been told the water temperature at the Dr S.P. Mukherjee Aquatics Complex pool was about 24C.

"It's pretty easy to notice, normal regulation pools should be around 26.5C or so. It's not a big deal for me to worry about. I'm looking forward to racing."

Based on times, Kean rates third in the 200m backstroke, seventh over 100m and eighth in the 50m dash.

His Games open today in the 50m, where Daniel Bell will also wave the Silver Fern.

Within the past two months, he has won 100m and 200m backstroke golds at the junior Pan Pacific junior championship in Hawaii, and was fifth in the 200m backstroke at the senior Pan Pacific championships in California.

His one minute 57.78 seconds in the 200m final in Hawaii ranked him third in the Commonwealth, giving him momentum coming into New Delhi.

He has been happy with how he has swum since arriving in the Indian capital, not that he's put a stopwatch on himself.

"I do most of how I think I'm going to perform or how I'm feeling just by how I swim. That's how I'm going to judge it from now on, because you may be off the day before you race, but on the day you're way on to it.

"I'm feeling great in the pool. I'm very excited for how I'm going to swim. I've done as much as I can, hopefully it will be an exciting meet for me.

"It should be interesting, I swam my 200m backstroke only a few weeks ago, but a lot of things can change in a short time. Hopefully, I've done the right things in preparing for this meet.

"So really I'm just excited to be able to get in the pool and race, and see what comes of it."

Whatever happens in the pool, you get the feeling Kean will come away from Delhi with fond memories.

After going to meets with only swimmers for company, he was loving being in the Commonwealth Games Village with athletes from across a wide range of sports and countries, and his emotional arrival there.

"When we arrived at the village we were greeted by a haka and we performed one as well."

He was relieved the Games were going ahead after such clouds over them, when it seemed problems might have prevented them being held. "It's great being here and if I wasn't here I don't know what I'd think."

New Zealand swimmers will be the first athletes in action on day one of the Games, with Kean and Bell in the 50m backstroke; Lauren Boyle, Penelope Marshall and Natasha Hind in the 200m freestyle, defending champion Moss Burmester in the 200m butterfly, and Southlander Natalie Wiegersma in the 200m individual medley.

- NZPA