While swimming has enjoyed more column inches than it is accustomed to recently, it will be with some relief that attention finally turns to action in the pool when the World Short-Course Championships start today in Istanbul.
Great Britain's performance at the Olympic Games in London this year fell below expectation with a mere three medals – two bronzes from Rebecca Adlington and a silver from Michael Jamieson.
That tally fell two short of the target set by UK Sport. Since then, both head coach Dennis Pursley and national performance director Michael Scott have left. Mark Perry, head of development and open-water head coach, was last week appointed interim technical leader – but not before Adlington hit out at British Swimming, accusing them of ignoring team wishes.
With Adlington due to meet British Swimming next month for talks, eyes now turn to the meet in Turkey, where Jamieson spearheads a 19-strong British squad.
The Bath-based 24-year-old would not let himself get distracted by events out of the pool.
He said: "We are sheltered from it a bit in Bath and I'm just looking forward to doing my talking in the pool."
Jamieson is looking to lead by example after his superb Olympic silver medal in the 200m breaststroke, a race which is top-loaded with talent in Istanbul.
As well as Jamieson, Daniel Gyurta – who held off the Briton to win gold in London in world record time – and Japan's Akihiro Yamaguchi, who subsequently lowered the Hungarian's mark in September, will face off.
Jamieson believes he will need to break his own British record if he is to challenge for a medal. He said: "I'm excited to race against these guys. It's going to be a strong field."
The Glaswegian is in the midst of fearsome yardage courtesy of Bath ITC head coach David McNulty, who is also the head coach in Turkey.
McNulty enjoyed a successful Games and is a popular and approachable figure within the sport, so it would be of little surprise to see him linked with the GB head coach role. He, though, was concentrating on the next five days, saying: "We've all had our breaks after the Olympics and I think it is great to start the four-year Olympic cycle again.
"There have been a few distractions but this is the part we all like doing – we like to coach, we like to swim. We've put everything behind us and are just moving on with swimming – and that's the main thing."
Jamieson will go today in the 100m breaststroke along with world junior champion Craig Benson. Also competing for Britain will be Fran Halsall and Lizzie Simmonds.
Ruta Meilutyte, whose stunning displays at the Olympics saw her win gold in the women's 100m breaststroke, will be representing Lithuania. Others due to turn up in Turkey include 11-times Olympic medallist Ryan Lochte, from the United States, and Ye Shiwen – the Chinese teenager who sparked controversy when she came home quicker than Lochte in the 400m individual medley.
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