Carlin sets sights on Toyko triumph as training steps up a gear

From the highs of double Olympic silver, to the lows of post-Games blues, it's been a time of transition for the swimmer, with new dreams, new ambitions – and a whole lot of rest.

Second-place finishes in the 400m and 800m freestyle finals saw Carlin's successes added to the lengthy list of Team GB highlights from the Rio Games, and since returning to British shores, she's been enjoying a well-earned break.

But now she's back with a vengeance, and has her sights set on the Tokyo 2020 Olympics with more determination than ever before.

"It's been a bit weird for me since Rio, I had a bit of a comedown because I was focusing on the Olympics for so long," said Carlin, who was speaking at BUCS Nationals where she was competing as a guest.

"So to have that taken away and know that Tokyo is four years away, it feels a bit strange.

"I've always loved my sport, I've always loved racing but you forget sometimes how hard training is.

"The early mornings when you have to get up in the dark and cold, and you have to push yourself even when no one is watching, it made it quite hard for me to drag myself out of bed at the start and you do think why you're still doing this.

"But I'm still so driven and motivated going towards Tokyo, and even though that seems quite far away now, I know the next few years are going to fly by."

This July sees the World Swimming Championships head to Budapest, in what marks the first major meet since the Olympics.

And while Carlin knows the pressure is on to show she is still at the very top of her game, she's determine to use every ounce of her being to prove just that.

"I'm going to do all I can to make sure I'm still competing against the very best in the world, that I'm still competitive in my event, and hopefully I can still get on that podium," she said.

"I'm going to be pushing myself in training in the lead up to the Worlds, working as hard as ever to be the best that I can be.

"In my events, everyone is always challenging for those podium positions, and you know you have to be on your A-game. Luckily in Rio, I managed to come away with two silver medals after a lot of hard work.

"I'll definitely be heading to Worlds trying to come away on the podium again, and looking ahead to the next four years."

Sportsbeat 2017