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David Davies

Staying calm in Beijing - with a little help from my friends!


Oh, what's occurring?

The Team GB swim squad have arrived in Beijing, I've checked into the Olympic village and the tingle down my spine means my Games experience has started - and the tension is palpable.

So to ensure I keep my focus and my nerve, I've asked my good mates Gavin and Stacey to keep me chilled out as Olympic D-Day approaches.

My room-mate Tom Haffield, a fellow Welshman, and I have been glued to my Gavin and Stacey DVD since we touched down in China as it takes our mind off the pressure of an Olympics build-up.

I love a TV comedy and there's no better medicine for pressure than a good laugh so I've been overdosing on Gavin and Stacey big time - I'm probably their biggest fan.

And being a Barry boy, it reminds me of home and makes me proud to come from Barry. Genuine.

I'm not gonna lie to you but I'd love a cameo role in their Christmas special - and a gold medal at the Olympics here in Beijing will do my chances no harm at all!

Gavin and Stacey's mate Nessa is an absolute genius and her sayings have me in stitches, no matter how often I've heard them, and the other lads in the GB swim team give me plenty of stick about 'typical Barry girls' - but it's all good banter.

They all love the show and show that us Welsh do have a sense of humour!

But Gavin and Stacey have set the benchmark for Barry exports, I've got to live up to their high standards and bring home swimming's version of a Bafta in Beijing.

I'll be watching the video before my first heat next Friday to keep me relaxed.

But I'm confident that physically I'm in the best shape of my life, I've done some great stuff in training and have not missed a session through illness or injury for as long as I can remember - I even sacrificed my turkey dinner on Christmas Day to train.

So knowing my body is right makes the mental preparations easier as I won't be having nightmares - because I know I've done everything to give myself the very best chance.

My bronze medal swim at the 2004 Olympics was a great achievement for me but the sport has moved on dramatically since then and this will be a much more competitive and cultural experience.

I'm one of an incredible 14 swimmers that have dipped below the magic 15 minute mark this year and my season's best time of 14 minutes 54.28 seconds is 10th in the list - with America's Peter Vanderkaay topping the charts almost ten seconds quicker than my best.

So this year's 1,500m freestyle Olympic heats, let alone the final, should be extremely quick and don't be surprised if the world record is under threat.

Grant Hackett holds the world record - his time of 14mins 34.56 secs was set in 2001 - and the awesome Aussie is bidding for a phenomenal hat-trick of Olympic golds in Beijing.

Winning two Olympic is a superb achievement, but making it a treble would be an amazing feat for one of the most amazing athletes of modern-day sport.

Grant is not only a great competitor but a great friend - however, there will be no sentiment when we go head-to-head. I want to beat him as much as he wants to be beat me.

But the 1,500m freestyle is more than David Davies versus Grant Hackett - and it'll be good.

Swimming star David Davies, 23, from Cardiff, won an Olympic bronze medal in 1500m Freestyle at the 2004 Games in Athens and competes in that event again in Beijing, as well as the inaugural 10km Open Water event. His previous diary entries are on 606. Our FAQs should answer any questions you have.


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  • 1. At 5:29pm on 06 Aug 2008, theenforcer22 wrote:

    I know Gavin and Stacey gets credited with the 'What's occurring' catchphrase but it appeared in the Steve Coogan sitcom 'Saxondale' first.

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  • 2. At 8:12pm on 06 Aug 2008, thebunshop wrote:

    Thanks Mike

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  • 3. At 07:55am on 08 Aug 2008, Tex wrote:

    You're wrong david

    I'm the biggest fan!! :-)

    Good luck!

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  • 4. At 6:10pm on 08 Aug 2008, PaulHaley wrote:

    Oh!

    Go David!!

    Win a medal for yourself and for Barry, and there will be a massive party for you on the Island on your return.

    It's so great that you continue to act as a fantastic Ambassador for Barry, and now on a World stage at the Olympics.

    Very best wishes

    From everyone at Pride In Barry
    Paul Haley - Chairman

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  • 5. At 09:29am on 23 Aug 2008, bowie0909

    This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.

  • 6. At 6:03pm on 23 Aug 2008, granbell wrote:

    SHAME ON YOU!!!

    You should apologize to the lady.

    you don't deserve a medal at all, go back to UK! you're just a stupid cow.

    Complain about this comment

  • 7. At 7:37pm on 23 Aug 2008, happyally11 wrote:

    Delete comments and forbid entry!

    The British show us what is the freedom of speech!

    shame on you and BBC!

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  • 8. At 7:37pm on 23 Aug 2008, happyally11

    This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.

  • 9. At 7:38pm on 23 Aug 2008, happyally11 wrote:

    Your silver medal should be forfeit.

    The rogue without spirit of the Olympic dont deserve medal.

    You will always be a loser.

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  • 10. At 7:38pm on 23 Aug 2008, happyally11 wrote:

    The british media think such a disgusted Hooligan as hero! Is Britain just a land of hooligans, nothing more than that?

    (The national performance director of Britain Scott joked: "He was just shaking a champagne bottle, nothing more than that.")

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  • 11. At 7:38pm on 23 Aug 2008, happyally11 wrote:

    Maybe the british media want tell the whole world, the "gentleman" and "Hero" are alternative appellations of Hooligan in Britain.

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  • 12. At 7:39pm on 23 Aug 2008, happyally11 wrote:

    In fact, confuse right and wrong is a British tradition, as the British had done for hundreds of years.

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  • 13. At 7:41pm on 23 Aug 2008, happyally11 wrote:

    The British Team and David Davies must apologize to the female volunteer in PUBLIC. She did just her duty to help the athlete.

    If the British Team dont make an apology. This is not only the shame of David Davies, but also the shame of "great" Britain.

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  • 14. At 7:41pm on 23 Aug 2008, happyally11 wrote:

    David Davies and Scott are not the individual now. The British Team is represnting Britain in Olympic 2008.

    shame on such effrontery British and the he British Team!

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  • 15. At 7:45pm on 23 Aug 2008, happyally11 wrote:


    Shame on the British press with tradition to confuse right and wrong!

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  • 16. At 7:48pm on 23 Aug 2008, happyally11 wrote:

    actually i was always curious about what a "british gentleman" is. now i got the answer.

    say that the doctors who was trying to save your life mistreats you;

    keep all the people waiting for you in the ceremony;

    describe the chinese volunteer who shows you the way to the ceremony as "overzealous";

    tell her to "shut up" when she offers to lead you to the ceremony. oh , as a british gentleman, you added the word "please"! aha! how nice and polite!!

    and then , ask her to shut up again, and dash your water at her!

    and your friendly british media use the word "bark" repeatedly to describe a chinese female volunteer who was just telling this "gentleman" all the other people were waiting, and just trying to show him the way!

    Now i'm pretty damn sure what a british gentleman is !

    a sweden athlete was being criticized and lost his bronze medal because he throws it to the ground.

    aha!
    and our dear-brawny-british-gentleman is being praised by the british media after splashing water to the face of a female volunteer!!!

    aha!!
    each of my dear fellow chinese athletes, in 2012 Olympics, don't forget to equip yourself with a BARREL of water , and after winning medals, use it as a bottle of "champagne" and splash it to the volunteer who leads you to the podium!
    enjoy the pleasant sensation of being "woman-handled"!!

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  • 17. At 8:12pm on 23 Aug 2008, granbell wrote:

    Another entry is closed for comment too.... BBC....? freedom of speech?? what a joke....

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  • 18. At 6:42pm on 25 Aug 2008, granbell wrote:

    why don't you come out to say something? or you feel proud of what you've done to the female volunteer?

    SHAME ON YOU!!! and your country!!

    WE NEED A OFFICIAL APOLOGY!!!

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  • 19. At 8:01pm on 25 Aug 2008, dragon-89 wrote:

    david if i ever see u in the streets ur gonna get a egg on ur face

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  • 20. At 9:51pm on 25 Aug 2008, chemhehe wrote:

    SHAME ON YOU and Your coach!!

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  • 21. At 01:12am on 26 Aug 2008, chemhehe wrote:

    You are just a snake(another story about the farmer and the snake), you know that? You should stay in the Walsh zoo.

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