Rio 2016: Team GB swimming star Hannah Miley hopes to banish Olympic demons in pool
HANNAH MILEY hopes to banish her Olympic demons in the pool tonight.
Miley is at her third Games but a medal still eludes her.
Yet in the run-up to Rio, the Team GB swimmer was told by a sports shrink to stop obsessing about gongs.
Miley, who races in the 400 metre individual medley, said: “My mantra leading into here has been to try to enjoy it and not obsess about medals. I just felt I had to have a different approach to these Games.”
At London 2012 Miley came fifth, despite silver at the World Championships the previous year.
She again missed a medal when she came fourth at last year’s Worlds in Kazan, Russia.
Miley, 27 on Monday, added: “I had to stop and ask myself why I do this.
“Why do I get myself up at 4.45 every morning? Why do I plough up and down the pool?
“Is it because I have to or because I want to?
“It is because I love doing it. I had to say to myself, ‘I love my sport’.
“I love what I do and probably more now than a couple of years ago.
“It is going to sound daft but it is not about the Olympic medals.
“The Olympic medal sounds so final.
“I would love an Olympic medal but I need to remind myself that I do this because I love it.
“Even going into Kazan it was all about medals. ‘What have I done wrong? Why did it not work out?’.
“I was so negative and it impacted on everything.
“If I keep thinking I’ve got to get a medal it creates tension and you lose your focus.”