Foster - Fran will be a star
Mark Foster says swimmer Fran Halsall will emerge as one of the biggest stars of the London Olympics.
Last Updated: 16/05/12 7:53pm
Former British swimmer Mark Foster says that Fran Halsall is the woman to watch in the Olympic pool this summer, while admitting his frustration at the lack of male sprinting talent.
Halsall will have one of the busiest Olympic schedules of any athlete this summer as she goes in the 100 metre butterfly, 100m freestyle and 50m freestyle at London 2012.
Former sprint specialist Foster, who won six short course 50m world titles, says everyone will be talking about Halsall after the Games as he expects her to be a star of London 2012.
"Francesca Halsall is going to be a big name coming out of these Olympics," said Foster. "She's got three events and if she does what we all hope, Francesca has got a very good chance.
"It's easier said than done and you can't say she's nailed on, but the Olympic Games is a funny place."
Medal hopes
Foster says 22-year-old Halsall takes everything in her stride and fully expects her to be one of the biggest names emerging from the Games.
"She's one of these people who takes every race at a time and has fun in the process," Foster added. "You see some people who put too much pressure on themselves so that really helps her. She also works hard and is driven.
"She's got something. I think she could be the name who comes out of the pool."
Foster also believes Rebecca Adlington and Kerri-Ann Payne will add to the medals they won in Beijing four years ago - gold for Adlington in the 400m and 800m freestyle and silver for Payne in the 10 km open water.
"It's the strongest team I think we've had going into an Olympic Games on paper," Foster said.
"You can always compare with games gone past but we've got the most chances of standing on the podium that we've ever had. The women's team is probably the second or third best team in the world at the moment."
Sprint frustration
No British man has qualified for the sprint events, with final trials to be held in June, and Foster is frustrated at the lack of talent in the event on the men's side.
"In this country we tend to concentrate more on middle to long distance swimming than we do sprinting," Foster said. "Fran just happens to be extremely talented and extremely quick.
"That's why we only really have Fran, then on the men's side we don't really have any guys in the top 30 or 40 in the world.
"The time I did in 1992 Olympic trials would have won Olympic trials this year and that was 20 years ago. Now I know I was good, but I wasn't that good and it wouldn't put me anywhere now. Twenty years have gone by and I think we should have some boys who are as good or better than I was."
But Foster believes Great Britain does have a great chance of winning medals in middle distance events.
"On the men's side, it's not the strongest team we've ever had but at the same time we've got a good chance in getting on the podium," Foster said.
"With Liam Tancock (100m backstroke), James Goddard (200m individual medley), Michael Jamieson (200m breaststroke), Andrew Willis (200m breaststroke) I think we've got a chance, and in the open water with David Davies and Daniel Fogg."
