The road to Beijing in a bubble – Grant Hackett

With only weeks until the much hyped Beijing Olympic Games, anticipation is building as our athletes step up their preparation. Controversy has surrounded the air pollution among in China which has lead to Australian athletes using contacts, thermoregulatory tablets and controlled meals among other things to ensure they are in career best form. But has one man taken it a bit too far?

Grant Hackett is set, hopefully, to become the first male athletes to win gold in the same event at three consecutive Olympics, the 1500m Freestyle. You can be assured he is doing everything possible to make this a reality. With the weight of a nation on his shoulders the Aussie swim team captain is taking no chances.

Hackett in a sense is living in a bubble leading into the games. He is wearing a mask over his face at all times, he will not touch any hand rails, he will only drink water out of a bottle when he is the person to crack its seal. A small break in the seal and he will not drink it. These are just some of the precautions he is taking.

Hackett admits he may look a little strange but the two time Olympic champion is not bothered. He acknowledges the enormity of the challenge he is faced with and the pressure he will receive off competitors all desperate to take the champions crown off him.

Usually when someone takes such drastic care to ensure something does not happent it somehow manages to happen anyway. Let’s pray irony does win in this case.

Hackett’s latest request is for the competition and training pools to be filled with Dettol! Has he gone too far?