Tokyo 2020: Sporting scholar Tom Dean says “there’s more left in the tank” as he qualifies for his first Olympic Games swimming final
University of Bath sporting scholar Tom Dean will race in his first Olympic final at Tokyo 2020 on Tuesday and says he is targeting a podium place alongside fellow Brit Duncan Scott.
Dean, coached by David McNulty at the Team Bath Sports Training Village with the British Swimming National Centre Bath, was fourth in the quickest of two 200m freestyle semi-finals on Monday morning in a time of 1:45.34.
Compatriot Scott won that race and the British duo, who went into the Games ranked first and second fastest in the world this year, are ready for a big podium push when the final takes place at 2.43am BST on Tuesday.
“I know I’m going to be able to push on a little bit more because there’s more left in the tank,” said Dean, a Mechanical Engineering student at the University who is supported by a Bill Whiteley Sports Scholarship.
“It’s exciting. We’re up against the same people we normally race, it’s the same eight guys. It’s no different to any other race except I’m in the best shape I’ve been in.
“It’s nice to share the pool with Duncan, hopefully I can share the podium with him as we did a few weeks ago in Budapest [at the European Championships].”
The women’s 200m freestyle competition began on Monday morning and Heat 3 saw Dean’s training partner Freya Anderson finish fourth in 1:56.96 to safely progress to Tuesday’s semi-finals. She was part of the Team GB 4x100m freestyle quartet that finished fifth in a British-record time on Sunday, click here for details.
Twenty sportspeople who train at the Team Bath Sports Training Village are competing at the Tokyo Olympic Games, as well as 12 University of Bath graduates. Click here to follow their progress.
