Fairweather settling in well

Dunedin freestyle swimmer Erika Fairweather seemed in good spirits today as she looked ahead to the opening event of her Paris campaign.

Fairweather, 20, is attending her second Olympics and is one of the high-profile swimmers in the New Zealand team after her outstanding results over the last two years.

She joined several of her swimming team-mates for a training camp in Monaco and has now settled into the Olympic village.

"The camp in Monaco was good. We were grinding along, getting into the right time zone, nothing too strenuous."

Fairweather said her training had gone exceptionally well over the past year and is clearly eager for her first event, the blue riband 400m freestyle. The heats are on Saturday.

"That event is always hyped up for the women," she said. "There are some incredible athletes in that race, but I'm ready to give it a good crack."

A key, she said, was maintaining her focus. You have your own 50-metre lane. It doesn't matter what everyone else is doing; you have to focus on your own race."

Fairweather has a heavy Olympic schedule. After the 400m freestyle, she will quickly re-set her sights on the 200m freestyle the next day, with the 4 x 200m freestyle relay and the 800m to follow.