With her bag half packed, her fundraising luncheon to attend, plus numerous last-minute details to tie up before heading to Europe, yesterday morning was frantic for Sarah Macky.
And that was before the New Zealand Sports Drug Agency turned up to perform a random drug test.
Macky, 24, left forEurope last night for the final stage of her Olympic build-up.
She will compete in the Spa regatta in the Netherlands next week and from there will move into Yachting New Zealand's base in Athens.
Macky will then head to Italy for the world championships before returning to Greece for that country's national event.
"There is a lot to do. I am right there, but these next three months are really crucial," she said.
"What I do now is really going to make a difference."
Her immediate focus will be familiarising herself with her new boat and sails which arrive in Europe next week.
"My first priority is sail and rig testing and getting that right while we are in Athens," she said.
"Then just more regatta preparation like re-learning the same old rules, refining and trying to pick up my intensity and eliminate those little mistakes."
Macky finished ninth in the class in the Sydney Olympics, but her results on the international circuit since then suggest she is a serious medal contender in the single-handed dinghy.
"Last time I had learnt only half of what I needed to know ... even with the boat," she said.
"I feel a lot more experienced and a lot better prepared, and I feel like I definitely have a great chance.
