Boyle up for ‘exciting and challenging’ time in Kazan

Lauren Boyle knows she has some big challenges ahead of her when she takes to the pool at the 16^th FINA World Championships in just a few weeks’ time.

Since her fourth place finish at the London 2012 Olympics Boyle has continued to assert herself in the international swimming scene, including at the 2013 world championships in Barcelona where she was a triple bronze medallist.

At this year’s world championships, to be staged in Kazan, Boyle will contest the same three events she medalled in last time, the 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle, although her past achievements are kept out of mind when setting goals for the upcoming competition.

“I think high expectations can be very good and very bad at the same time so I try to make sure that I almost don’t put too many concrete expectations of what things are going to be like and how it’s going to feel when I’m there.

“For me the biggest thing that I can do and the most exciting thing that I can do for myself is to go faster than I’ve ever swum before and that’s the best feeling that will get me the best results possible and that’s what I’m going to try to do.”

Boyle will be up against some tough competition with the likes of American teenage sensation Katie Ledecky, who is the current world record holder in all of Boyle’s events, forming part of a very strong field.

“My events are very stacked this year and nobody has shown any signs of slowing down.

“Definitely everyone’s going to be there and fighting for the podium so it’s going to be really exciting and challenging.”

In the build-up for the world championships Boyle has been concentrating on her training programme on the Gold Coast with a brief trip to Mexico for altitude training before competing at the Santa Clara swim meet in the United States last month.

Boyle will next join the rest of the New Zealand world championship team at a staging camp in Barcelona, Spain before heading to Kazan.

The 16^th FINA World Championships begin on July 24 with open water swimming on 27 and 28 July and the pool competition to take place from 2 – 9 August.