Related content
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A WORLD championship is not worth the risk for recovering superstar James Magnussen.
He could have lined up in the men’s 100-metre freestyle in Brisbane at the Australian Swimming Championships, but instead was a notable absentee.
The national titles serve as qualifiers for the prestigious world championships which will be held in Budapest in July.
The Missile will watch the world championships from the comfort of his living room as part of a plan to make next year's Commonwealth Games his greatest effort yet.
Coach Mitch Falvey said Gold Coast 2018 was always the end goal and he knows Magnussen better than most.
He has coached the 25-year-old for the last two years, after the Port Macquarie product claimed an Olympic silver medal in 2012.
But he is one of the men charged with helping Magnussen win Commonwealth gold in his home pool – and return to the top.
Magnussen is still recovering from shoulder surgery 12 months ago, but it wasn’t the main reason they decided not to test themselves in Brisbane.
The plan was always going to be getting him right for the Commonwealth Games.
- Coach Mitch Falvey
“Our focus is on the Commonwealth Games, not the world championships so we had to make a decision which one to forego,” Falvey said.
“The plan was always going to be getting him right for the Commonwealth Games.”
Magnussen, who will turn 26 on April 11, failed to fire almost one year ago to the day at the Australian titles which ultimately cost him an individual spot at the Rio Olympic Games.
Falvey felt they had more to lose by pushing the Missile to compete before he was ready at the national titles.
“We never considered taking him there,” he said.
“He has already had a lot of time out of the water in his recovery and we stood to lose even more time by having him possibly compete at the world championships.
“James is simply not ready to race at the moment so we had to discuss what we saw was the priority for him right now.”
Falvey was confident the focus on the Commonwealth Games was what was best for Magnussen.
“He’s not disappointed to not be going there (the national titles),” he said.
“In fact I’d say he’s probably more excited because it gives him a chance to see where everyone else is at from afar.
“It’s a different mindset for him right now – he’s not focused on competing, he’s focused on getting his body right."
Falvey said Magnussen enjoyed having a different training schedule.
“It’s a breath of fresh air for him to be doing something different right now. He’s training hard and he’s gradually getting stronger,” he said.
We’re not focused on swimming fast now, we want to swim far.
- Coach Mitch Falvey
“While there is a lot of strain on your body when you compete, there is also an effect on your mind – mentally it can be a drain going and competing.
“He’s in a good space at the moment.”
Instead of competing at the world championships, Magnussen will head overseas in June and compete at a number of different swim meets across Europe.
“Every session he has he is getting bigger and stronger,” Falvey said.
“We’re not focused on swimming fast now, we want to swim far.”