Q: Is Spain ready to step up at a home World Championships in Barcelona and what would constitute success?
A: Spain is always proud to organize an international competition. After the success of the (1992) Olympic Games and the success of Barcelona 2003 (FINA World Championships), Spain has to raise the bar even higher, so they are ready to put on a well-organized competition that will be exciting to watch. With the diving competition against the backdrop of the city, open-water in the port – I went to the test event a couple of weeks ago, and it was just amazing to see the swimmers racing in the port – and swimming in the basketball arena (Palau Sant Jordi), everything will be well-organized to show what Spain is capable of.
As for the swimming team, we have focused on how we can improve on the swims from the trials in Pontevedra for the Championships. With our team philosophy we know we can create chances to make the semi-finals, get to the finals, and maybe even win medals, and we want to be sure that we do everything on a daily basis to make the swimmers faster in the 16 weeks we have for preparation. Through this focus I think we will create more possibilities. Obviously within the team we have individuals such as Mireia…
