Published July 14, 2011 10:50AM
Gomez, the 2008 and 2010 ITU World Champion from Spain, talks about his plans as he guns for a berth to the 2012 Olympics.
After just missing out on a medal in Beijing, Spanish triathlete Javier Gomez has his eyes firmly set on gold in Hyde Park next year. Here, he chats with Olympic.org about his training leading up to the 2012 games.
How is your training going ahead of London 2012?
Training is going really well. Right now, the most important thing is qualifying for London 2012, so I need some good races at the World Championship series. There’s no doubt that I am thinking about the 2012 Olympic Games at every training session!
What is your favorite training session?
It’s difficult to pick just one; I love training. But I particularly like fast workouts, for example my track sessions where I might do something like 8 x 1,000m with two-minute recoveries. I’d run these at 2:40-2:42 mins pace. It’s tough and it hurts, but it’s great training.
What are you most looking forward to about the 2012 Games?
There’s one thing that keeps driving me forward: the gold medal. There are so many things which make the Olympic Games unique and interesting, but what I want – and what I didn’t get in Beijing – is that gold medal.
What do you think about London as a city?
London is one of my favorite cities in Europe. I like the mix of cultures you find just walking through the streets, and I really like British people. Of course, Hyde Park where the Olympic triathlon will be held is one of the best places we can race. It’s beautiful – I love it.
Who do you see as your main rivals for the gold medal in London?
There are so many! The sport is very strong at the moment with a great number of fantastic athletes. But If I have to pick anyone, I’d say the Brownlee brothers, Alistair and Jonathan. They are both very talented and, of course, they’ll be racing on home soil which will be extra motivation for them. Or perhaps it will be extra pressure; who knows! But I can’t discount guys like Jan Frodeno, Brad Kahlefeldt, Steffen Justus and Bevan Docherty. There are a bunch of names who have a really high chance of getting a medal.
Read more: Olympic.org