James Cowburn
JAMES Cowburn does not talk like a world champion.
That’s not to say the teenager has no desire to be crowned the best in the business – he does – but his mastery of modesty masks it perfectly.
“I’ve always wanted to be an Olympian,” he said.
“It’s every swimmer’s dream and, obviously, a gold medal is the big one.”
The 17-year-old is one of half a dozen boys who will be making waves in a corner of the Australian Gold Coast that British Swimming has made its permanent home from home.
These teenagers are the great hopes for 2012, young Britons who will be men when their home Olympic Games roll into
And Cowburn, a member of Winsford Amateur Swimming Club, could not wait to get there.
“It’s a scary prospect,” he told the Guardian before leaving.
He will be a student at the Southport School, Queensland, at British Swimming’s Offshore Centre for the next two years after being picked as a rising star.
Every weekday he will rise at dawn, train from 5.30am to 8am, change into his uniform on the poolside and walk 100 yards to the breakfast hall before lessons.
His day will end with a further two hours of tutelage in the pool.
And it costs Britain not a single penny to use a 12-lane 50m facility, the quality and setting of which blasts anything the UK has to offer out of the water.
“There are more 50m pools in a 10-mile radius here than in the whole of
He sat on the panel that picked Cowburn. The youngster, who hails from Holmes Chapel, believes his 200m backstroke gold at the National Youth Championships in July helped clinch a place.
“It was my first national title,” he said.
“And for that reason it’s definitely my favourite moment in the pool.”
It’s no surprise when he admits to not getting nervous before big races.
“I turn nerves into fuel,” he smiled.
“To be honest I’ve never really had trouble motivating myself.
“My friends don’t always understand when I go to bed early on a Friday night though!”
Those nights have multiplied since he switched to elite club Stockport Metro partway through last year on the advice of Dave Pettengell, his coach and mentor at Winsford.
“It was the right decision,” said Cowburn.
“I was getting frustrated at Winsford and needed to make a move but I had a great time there and won’t forget all Dave has done for me.”
He needs to remember every shred of it Down Under.