Osborne has good chance for 2012

GUERNSEY swimmer Jeremy Osborne is being touted as a serious and realistic contender to force his way into the Great Britain team for the 2012 Olympics in London. The 16-year-old Elizabeth College boy has been selected as one of only 100 apprentices aged 16 to 18 from across England to undertake the new UK government-funded Advanced Appren-ticeship in Sporting Excellence scheme.

Mick Hepwood, the regional coach for the London and east regions of England, with responsibility for developing competitive swimming and talent development, has no doubts the Beau Sejour Barracudas Swimming Club swimmer has all the necessary attributes and criteria to make the Olympic team.

'Initially now he is on track in terms of his times.

'We have tracking figures and we plot a curve and can tell where he will be in four years time. It's a matter of him staying on track over the next four years,' he said yesterday.

'He has got as good a chance as anyone - it will be the 100m freestyle and relay that we are encouraging him to do. He is in the top five 16-year-olds in Great Britain now for 100m freestyle.'

'The national teams are all about podium places and medals,' he stressed.

The AASE is specifically designed for young people hoping for a career in competitive swimming.

Osborne is now receiving regular visits from his UK tutor Hepwood, who is working closely with local coach Alison Frankland to help further develop his training programme and monitor his apprenticeship progress.

'I normally look at an athletes size. He is well over six foot tall and at 16 he has a lot of growing to do,' he said.

He believes Osborne also possesses the necessary parental and coaching support as well as his school's backing to enable him to achieve his full potential.

'Technically he is very good and his physical make-up is good. He is a racing model and seems to have that good speed you are looking for.'

This week his technique was analysed by underwater video analysis via a shark-eye camera unit - the most up-to-date portable technology available.

'We are looking at his potential and analysing it and need to put a plan in to maximise that potential. We are in the process of building a team to support him,' said Hepwood.

'We will make him stronger and more powerful.

'We need to do everything we can to assist this young men achieve his goals. The 2012 Games will come along quick ly and there is a massive amount of work in terms of preparation,' he said.

'He has a very good chance of making the team. Everything he has going for him stacks up. You have to be 6ft 3in plus when you line up in the 100m free.'