Training going down a treat for Murphy

OLYMPIC GAMES: IAN O'RIORDANon how the Olympic hopeful is gearing up for London

IT FELT a little unfair to be asking Gráinne Murphy about the sacrifices involved in swimming at the London Olympics in a room decorated with chocolate hampers and that famous Cadburys logo.

Because chocolate, as every elite athlete will tell you, is the first thing that has to go, or at least they pretend it is. Murphy once explained that Rich Tea biscuits are the most calorific treat she ever indulges in, at least while in heavy training, yet here she was in Dublin as one of the new ambassador athletes for Cadbury – official “treat provider” to the Irish Olympic and Paralympic teams for London.

But going without chocolate, even if she had to, wouldn’t be a sacrifice for Murphy: this is the young swimmer who moved from her home in Wexford, aged just 13, to train full-time in Limerick, and some people might view that as the ultimate sporting sacrifice.

“No, I don’t see any of it as a sacrifice,” she says. “I get up early every morning and go swimming, and I really love that. Limerick is a nice environment too, like being around the Munster rugby team, people like Paul O’Connell. I don’t count the days, but just enjoy every one of them.”

Whatever sacrifices Murphy has made have already paid off handsomely, most recently in securing the London A-standard for the 800 metres freestyle (and she’s still one of only two Irish swimmers to qualify, along with Barry Murphy).

She only turned 19 last Monday, and is still making big, bold decisions to ensure she arrives in London next July in the shape of her life.

Indeed she’s just back from three weeks’ training in Denmark, alongside Lotte Friis, amongst others, the silver medallist from Beijing and World champion in the 1,500m freestyle:

“Training with other people, such as a world champion, is always going to be different, seeing what her team do, and all that.

“I also competed at the Danish trials, from last Thursday, to Sunday, and got to see more about how they prepare to race, the resting up, setting the pace, and all that.

“It’s back into another block of training in Limerick, then I’m off to France in the middle of April for 10 days, before some more races this side of the June.”

Securing the A-standard – her 8:31.14 last December was well inside the required 8:33.84 – has provided early peace of mind and also a top-12 ranking, giving her some very real Olympic ambitions.

Murphy also got to test the London Olympic Aquatics Centre during the British Championships earlier this month.

“Swimming in the Olympic pool, that’s when you start to get excited. But then it’s really just a normal pool, like any other. It’s just the excitement that will be there, so I really expect some fast swimming.

“But it was good to get to know the surroundings as well, the call room, and all that. But then it doesn’t really matter that it’s London, so close to home. It just means no time difference, no change of food, no adapting to hot conditions.

But like any other Olympics everyone wants to compete at their best, so it doesn’t really make it any easier.”

Olympic swimming has always required some major sacrifices, given the training demands, yet Murphy has also been assisted by some major funding, including a €40,000 allocation in the recent Sports Council Grants – not that any of it will be going on buying chocolate, even if she wanted it to.