Veteran PNG swimmer to give it one more go in Rio

PAPUA NEW GUINEA – The veteran Papua New Guinea swimmer Ryan Pini said he’s feeling fresh and was excited to compete in his fourth and final Olympic Games next month.

The 34-year-old retired after the London Games in 2012 but returned to the pool for last year’s Pacific Games in Port Moresby, where he won seven gold medals.

He will compete in just one event in Rio, his favoured 100 metres butterfly, but said the finality of his Olympic journey had yet to sink in.

“It doesn’t feel like this is going to be the end of it as I’m still in that phase of preparation where all I’m thinking about doing is that fast race.”

“It’s my fourth Olympics, so I’ve definitely sort of been through the emotions and I know what to expect and all the hurdles that may come along the way, along with travelling and being inside the village.

“It’s no different, still very excited and I can’t wait for it all to kick off.”

Pini set his personal best time at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and said he’s got some work to do if he’s to achieve his goal of making the semi-finals in Brazil.

“I sort of look at last year at what made the semi-final and that was 52.2 seconds so it’s about half a second faster than what I’ve been doing this year so far.”

“ I don’t think that will make the semi-final this year, so I will have to be quicker if I want to do that – probably around the 52 flat or 51.9. That’s sort of closer to what I was doing eight years ago now, that seems like a long time ago, making the final for the Olympics in Beijing,” Pini said.

“I believe I can get there – you just don’t know what’s going to happen on the day,” he said.

Team PNG is sending a team of eight athletes in Rio.

- RNZI