Swain admits more consistency is needed on road to 2012

By Ryan Bangs, Sportsbeat

BEN Swain insists he will have to become the perfectionist of the British diving team if he is to turn his London 2012 Olympic dream into a reality.

IN TANDEM: Ben Swain and Nick Robinson-Baker have enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2009 (Getty Images)

The 23-year-old, alongside partner Nick Robinson-Baker, has enjoyed a breakthrough year, claiming the 3m synchronised FINA World Series crown and landing a cash prize of $10,000.

However, the duo failed to maintain that form at the World Championships three months later; finishing seventh following a below-par penultimate dive at the Foro Italico in Rome.

And City of Sheffield diver Swain - who also finished seventh alongside Robinson-Baker at the Olympics last summer - admits there is no margin for error in the next three years.

"We had really good World Series but I think our World Championship performance was also really good and just because we didn't medal that can't be forgotten," said Swain.

"We scored almost the same as we did throughout the World Series - it was just one of those things. The tiniest mistake can make a massive difference in the placing that you get.

"The competition is so close now that we're all doing similar dives, we are all as strong as each other and we've all been around for roughly the same amount of time.

"It's always the same competition - but we will learn from it and train harder and get better every single day.

"I've got plenty of competitions to keep me going at the moment before 2012, there are a couple of World Championships and the Commonwealth Games and it's just a matter of pacing my way through."

Despite his 2009 achievements Swain has been largely overshadowed by British team-mate Tom Daley - who became the nation's first ever individual world diving champion.

Swain has had no qualms with Daley's rise to prominence and admitted everyone on the British team can take something from the 15-year-old's performance in Rome.

"Tom has brought a lot of press to diving. He is a great kid, a great character and he has taught us a lesson or two - he's not afraid of working hard," he added.

"So we have to learn from him and in return he also learns from us and it's a great team within diving. The media attention has been really good and we've got quite a few youngsters coming through for future Olympics.  

"We are all striving to get better and make sure that we can get the right results at every competition we go in to. Without a doubt I'm dreaming about a 2012 gold medal every day."