Hoffmann wants another magic race in Sydney

Potsdam (Germany), June 23: The World record breaker of 1991 looks like an ordinary middle-aged German jumping into the pool for some earl...

Potsdam (Germany), June 23: The World record breaker of 1991 looks like an ordinary middle-aged German jumping into the pool for some early morning exercise.

Despite his huge 1.97 metres frame and 97 kg, Hoffmann zips down the pool at the Olympic training centre in Potsdam like a Porsche flying down the passing lane on a German Autobahn.

“It’s not always easy to stay motivated at the age of 30,” Hoffmann, who trains by himself, said in an interview after finishing his 6.5-km early morning session, to be followed by another 6.5 km in the evening.

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”I can’t swim 16,000 metres a day like I did ten years ago because that would wipe me out. It takes longer to recover now than it used to.

“Over the years I’ve learned what’s important and what’s not. Swimmers used to retire at 23. So I’m exploring new territory. I’m trying to find what works for a 30-year-old. I’m following my gut instincts rather than a set programme.”

Hoffmann showed he was still a contender when he won the World short-course title in Athens in March, beating Ukrainian teenager Igor Chervynskiy, who had defeated him at last December’s European short-course championships in lisbon.

However, top Australians Grant Hackett and Perkins skipped the Athens meeting and Hoffmann was brought up abruptly at last week’s German national championships when he finished second and failed to achieve the olympic qualifying time.

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He expects to earn his ticket to Sydney by making the qualifying time of 15 minutes 19 seconds and believes he can get under 15:10, the time he reckons will be needed to reach the final.

“I should be able to qualify for the 400 but I really want another shot at the 1,500,” said Hoffmann, who made his Olympic debut in 1988 in Seoul, took the 1,500 bronze at the 1992 Barcelona Games and finished seventh in Atlanta in 1996.

“It’s the race that I enjoy the most. There’s something special about it. You get an incredible kick when it all comes together at that distance. At times when you just glide through the water and don’t feel a thing, it’s almost like flying.”

When Hoffmann turns his attention to Sydney, his memorable duel with Perkins at the 1991 World Championships is never far from this thoughts.

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Hoffmann was 21 and Perkins 17. They battled through 30 lengths of the 50-metre perth pool and the German won by a mere 0.22 seconds as both swam four seconds faster than the record the great Vladimir Salnikov had set nearly eight years earlier.

“I would love to swim against Perkins again in Australia,” Hoffmann said. “It would bring back memories. It’s a great source of motivation for me at the moment.”