Spofforth wants Simmonds to take nothing for granted this year

By Ryan Bangs, Sportsbeat

FORMER world champion Gemma Spofforth has warned Lizzie Simmonds against taking an Olympic swim for granted - citing herself as the perfect reason why she shouldn't.

FRIENDLY WARNING: Gemma Spofforth, left, doesn't want Lizzie Simmonds to take anything for granted this year

Simmonds, a backstroke specialist, has competed at every major international long course event on the calendar since the European Championships in Budapest in the summer of 2006.

That amounts to an Olympic and Commonwealth Games, three World Championships and two further Europeans with Simmonds, on that basis, an apparent certainty to swim at London 2012.

However Spofforth, who came from relative obscurity to join Simmonds on the plane to the Beijing Olympics in 2008 before winning world 100m gold a year later, is advising her friend against complacency.

"I know Lizzie will be ready for it but there are some up-and-coming swimmers to look out for as well," said Spofforth - who is lending her support for British Swimming's Big Splash campaign ahead of London 2012.

"And personally for me looking back to 2008 people had thought I had quit swimming and that I wasn't around anymore but I was and I made the Olympic team.

"I had gone to America and there are so many people over there that could probably get to the semi-final or final at an Olympics.

"And having competition gives you more drive and makes things more exciting for the trials. You don't want to go and assume you will make it, you want to swim fast to get there."

Indeed European 200m champion Simmonds failed to qualify for July's World Championships at the first attempt back in March before doing so second time around in Sheffield in June.

The 20-year-old went on to finish seventh in both the 100m and 200m backstrokes but still Spofforth insists Simmonds can't rest on her laurels in London in the spring.

"Olympic year is very different and some people come out of it and others don't swim so well," she added. "And you can look at the team on paper and say this is the team we want to take but half the people might not make it and there is pressure on people."

British Swimming's Big Splash campaign is supported by principal partner British Gas, and supporting partners Kellogg's and Speedo. For more information on great swimming activities and offers visit www.bigsplash.co.uk

© Sportsbeat 2012