Swimming European Short Course ChampionshipsJohnny Watterson hears about the change of technique that helped land silver for Andrew Bree
When Andrew Bree sat down with his coach JT Trembley after breaking the Irish record in the heats of the 200 metres breaststroke in the European Short Course Championships yesterday, the American advised the Irishman to entirely revise his tactics for the final.
Trembley, who watched the 22-year-old from deckside at the National Aquatic Centre, told Bree to cut the number of strokes he was taking in each length of the eight-length race by one stroke. Bree, who was swimming six strokes per length in the morning, trusted Trembley's intuitive eye and changed to five strokes in the afternoon's European final, a tactic that allowed him move from fifth place in the race to the silver medal position over the last 50 metres.
While his time of 2:08.02 moved the Irish record further out of sight of his nearest domestic rival, it was the self-contained manner and assurance Bree demonstrated when he made the adjustment that earned him Ireland's first European medal since Gary O'Toole in 1989.
While the long, powerful surges that pulled his secondrow forward's body through the eight lengths looked deceptively slow on the eye, Bree was easily keeping pace with the mass of swimmers who chased to keep in touch with the eventual winner, Ian Edmond. Then in the final 50 metres, Bree turned up the tempo just enough to tip the bulkhead before the converging rush of bodies in Edmond's wake. Bree swam the quickest final 50 metres split of any of his rivals, including the winner.
"JT told me to take one less stroke per 25 metres," said Bree. "It would get me more energy for the last 50 metres. It just went really well. I just felt so long and smooth. I didn't know where I was coming when I went into the last length. I just turned. I knew the Dutch boy was beside me and I kept going. Then when I saw the scoreboard I couldn't believe it.
"Someone told me I was the fastest split in the last 50. I went from fifth to second. It worked. I took four strokes for the first length, not five. Kept it long and smooth."
Bree was in joint fifth place at the turn on 50 metres, with just the individual surges separating the chasing bunch. At 100 metres he had dropped fractionally back, to sixth position, but at 150 metres and with just two lengths remaining, he was holding fifth again. The closing two lengths, he swam in 33.08 seconds, faster than anyone else including the new European champion and record holder Edmond.
"I swam three weeks ago in North Carolina and converted it to short course and it told me that I could do a 2:08," said Bree. "So I knew that time was in me. It is short course metres but now it gives me confidence coming into next season. Over Christmas, I'll not enjoy it too much. Then I'll get ready for a few meets and try and qualify in March or April for the games (Olympic)."
Bree, who is based in the University of Tennessee, will look for a competition in America after the NCAA Championships, which take place in March. It is then he hopes to swim a time of 2:14.01 seconds and earn a place in the Olympic Games in Athens.
"My best is 2:14.04 seconds. I swam that in August 2002. Hopefully now, I'll get under the 2:14. I've been more motivated in and out of the water. But definitely this is a stepping stone for me."
His time now for the same 200 metres breaststroke event in which O'Toole excelled 14 years ago in Germany, allows him to breathe the same challenging air of world-class swimmers. As a prospect he has always threatened to break into that club. Now he's done it with the help of "big mileage" in his limbs and the energy of a home crowd.
Not a bad christening for Dublin's new swimming arena, or Bree's celebrity.
