London 2012 Paralympics: Edinburgh’s Sean Fraser admits to getting ‘carried away’

By GERARD MEAGHER
Published on 31/08/2012 12:26

EDINBURGH’S Sean Fraser
today admitted he paid the price for his enthusiasm as he made a solid, if 
unspectacular, start to his Paralympic campaign.

Fraser competes in five events in London, where he is seeking to upgrade his Beijing bronze and improve his medal haul.

But he admitted the 100m butterfly, in which he finished sixth, was never a key target.

“I don’t tend to focus too much on the butterfly, although you always want more,” he said, after clocking 1:05.95, just outside his personal best, to finish well down on gold medallist Charles Rozoy. “It’s a good start to the meet and I’m feeling in really good shape and pretty confident about the events I’ve got to come.

“You can’t complain with being sixth in the world but there won’t be any complacency. I don’t race again until Sunday so I’ve got time to talk with my coach and look at some videos.

“I probably got a bit carried away by the occasion and went out too fast because I started to die on the last length and the final 25 metres was very painful.

“You want to put it all on the line at this level, but I think I was being a little bit greedy.”

Fraser’s principle individual aim is the 100m backstroke, in which he won bronze four years ago, but he also likes Great Britain’s chances in the relay.

“Things have been going great in training, I love being with those guys and after finishing fifth in Beijing we know we can challenge the best in the world,” he added.

Andrew Mullen claimed to be satisfied with his first action after reaching the final of the 50m freestyle, where he finished a distant eighth in a race won by four-time Paralympic champion Daniel Dias.

Mullen’s target for the Games is his signature 50m butterfly and he will also compete in the 50m backstroke.

And he was happy just to make the final.

“I didn’t really expect to qualify,” he admitted, after clocking a 37.40 second personal best in the heats.

“It was a great opportunity to be able to experience the 
atmosphere and get that experience ahead of my events later in the week.

“It was a warm-up for the 50m fly and the 50m backstroke so I’ve literally done no freestyle training whatsoever.

“I’ve just been focusing on those two so to come in and be able to make a final and swim a personal best time in the heat I’m really pleased.

“The freestyle gave me a 
really good opportunity to 
experience what the crowd is like so when I swim the fly and the back I don’t get too nervous.

“The hairs on the back of my neck were standing up, it was awesome and I’ve never experienced anything like it.”

n Bank of Scotland, proud 
supporter of ParalympicsGB and proud partner of the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Get closer to the Games at bankofscotland.co.uk/London2012