Rio 2016: Breaststroke sensation Molly Renshaw delighted to be Brazil-bound after 2012 heartache

They say a week is a long time in politics – which couldn’t be more true in this post-Brexit period of hell – but it’s also a long time when you’re waiting to find out if you have fulfilled an ambition that’s been driving you on for four years.

Molly Renshaw, British breaststroke sensation, has just been through that suspense, treading water, while she waited for Team GB to tell her if she was booked on the Rio plane. Having competed at the Glasgow trials and recorded a personal best, but not the devilishly difficult qualifying time set by British Swimming, she couldn’t be sure.

“[Trials] finished on the Sunday and I was still training up to the Wednesday,” Renshaw tells The Independent, “and then I found out on the Thursday – so at least I had training to keep my mind off it. But then again, that made it worse because I was just swimming up and down thinking: ‘why am I doing this?’ ‘Am I mad to be doing this?’ It was tough.

“I was in bed, woke up and got an email. It was from the national director so that was a pretty big indicator. When I opened it, it was more relief when you’ve put everything you have into training. And, after all, it’s the goal for all swimmers: to make the Olympic Games. It took a while to sink in. It was pure relief.”

Now, though, relief has turned to breaststroke butterflies for this 20-year-old who is Mansfield’s second most successful swimmer (it’s the home town of Rebecca Adlington). “I’m really excited about it but I’m more nervous. I’m trying not to overthink it,” she says.

Renshaw knows it’s a big deal because she missed the boat four years ago for London and remembers the pain. “It hit me hard when I was quite young,” she says. “I was 15 and I was devastated but everything was happening so fast. The year before I’d made my first Worlds team which was a shock anyway so after that it was ‘maybe I could do this, maybe I could make the Olympics team’ – but then the selection policy was vague, I missed out, and my coach decided to appeal it.”

open image in gallery

Does she regret that? It was an unsettling period for someone so young. “Well, obviously I wanted to make the team but I didn’t want all the attention, I guess. In hindsight I wish we hadn’t appealed – it didn’t get me anywhere did it…?

“It’s not a nice thing to look back on - but over the years it’s pushed me, it’s made me tougher. So when I have a bad session, it’s like, I don’t want to go through that feeling again because it was such a horrible time. You want to do everything to reduce those chances.”

To that end Renshaw, who is sponsored by the Aussie performance swimwear brand Funkita, moved to Loughborough University two years ago and has been improving ever since. “I was PBing every time I got in the pool,” she says. “I just needed a fresh start.”

And that new beginning led to Glasgow’s trials but Renshaw is not a fan of the wait a week scenario. “The trials were underwhelming,” she says, “because the selection policy was so hard people weren’t celebrating. People were finishing and were like: ‘we don’t know if we’ve made it’. They want the best team possible going to Rio but the bar was too high. I think they’ve realised. My automatic qualification time would have got me a silver at the Worlds last year. The times are crazy hard. Especially after 2012, I was like I’m not getting my hopes up. I didn’t want to be knocked down again.”

Now she’s made it though, she’s trying to stay in top shape. “It’s about getting things right in training,” she says. “That is taking up my time and is keeping my mind of Rio which is good. It’s about making the right choices with nutrition and lifestyle, resting, getting naps in between the pool and gym during the week.”

open image in gallery

And what a week. “Yeah, it’s busy. I swim 10 two-hour sessions and then do five hours in the gym – it’s pretty full on.”

But it’s working and has her in good heart for Rio. Failing to get a medal at the Europeans in London last month looked like a poor result but Renshaw explains. “I’m quietly confident. I’m not a boasty person but I’ve had a good season so far. I swam a PB at the British Championships and then at the Europeans I wasn’t expecting to swim that well because we were in hard training, I was unrested, and I didn’t feel in such a good a place - but I swam another PB. So it gave me confidence that hopefully come Rio, when I’ve done everything right, I can go a lot faster.

“In 2014 I got a silver at the Europeans so it would have been nice to back that up – I was just off – but I came away with a PB in my 100 and 200 breast. I didn’t expect that so I can’t complain.”

It bodes well then but is there something in the Mansfield water and is she bored of ‘the next Adlington’ tag? “No!” she says with another giggle. “It’s a nice compliment to be even compared with Rebecca – she was an amazing sportswoman, great role model. I’ve got a lot to live up to if people want me to walk in her shoes though! But I’m very proud of to be from the same area.”

open image in gallery

After the splash Adlington and Co made in Beijing they were a bit of a damp squib at London 2012, the golden light shining more on the athletes. Can we expect a better Rio return? “Yeah, it’s exciting times. We have a lot of younger swimmers that are big medal hopes so this summer will be a lot more successful than 2012.”

Especially with Russia in disarray. Renshaw, although reluctant to dive in too much, agrees that they should be punished. “There’s always going to be doubt with them,” she says. “I’ve lost all respect for them as a country. If you are a clean swimmer, swimming for them I’d hate it because I think everyone doubts everyone on the Russian team.”

For now though, it’s about Renshaw who heads to a GB Rio training camp on 22 July. The swimming will be over by the end of the first week giving Renshaw the next seven days to watch other events, explore Rio and, hopefully, celebrate. A lot to pack in – but then a week can be a mighty long time.

Molly Renshaw wears Australian swimwear brand Funkita