BUTTERFLYER Chris Wright has dived into preparations for the World Shortcourse Championships after failing to gain a place on the Beijing Olympic team.

The 19-year-old former Cairns swimmer has flown to the Manchester championships with a personal best from the Olympic trials and renewed confidence.

He brought his personal best for pet event the 200m butterfly down to 1.58.71min from a tick over two minutes, hacked three seconds off his 100m time and two seconds off his 50m best.

"There has been no come down from the trials," Wright said.

"Everyone has peak performances and as far as I am concerned there are still world records to break.

"At the moment I am just trying to maintain my taper and make sure I swim fast in the shortcourse pool."

Wright expects to go around 1.55 low or 1.54 high in Manchester if he is to compete with European swimmers who have qualified for the Beijing Olympics.

Speaking from a Woy Woy training camp shortly before he flew out of Australia, Wright said he would use the championship racing as another stepping stone to the next Olympics in London in 2012.

"I knew it would be tough to make the Beijing team," Wright said.

"I swam a personal best so you can’t ask more than that.

"Every race from now on is just more experience on the road to London. I want to start to swim around the A qualifying time.

"At the rate I am improving it is definitely not impossible."

Wright said he would continue to concentrate on the gruelling 200m butterfly event in the lead-up to 2012 for the simple reason that he enjoys it.

During full training Wright endures up to 60km a week.

"We don’t do the sorts of kilometres of some of the swimmers," Wright said.

"The work we do is specific to the event, very race specific."

 

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