The Danish swimming Olympic hope

Photo: Niels Christian Jung © DR Sporten

Jacob Andkjær aims to make the Olympics and is currently with the other Danish swimmers training more and harder.

Said Danish Swimming Union Elite Chef Lars Sorensen. “Jacob's big goal is to qualify for the individual 100 meters free at the Olympics in London. It will be difficult, and it is a tremendous challenge, but he delivers a good result every day at training.”

Jacob Andkjær himself even knows that it will be a hard task and it will not be easy to qualify for the Olympic Games:

“There are a couple of months before the qualification, and right now I feel it is going uphill. But I will be better and hopefully be able to swim more efficiently in the next few months.”

Qualifying takes place in Bellahøj, Denmark from the 22^nd to the 25^th of March 2012 and swimmers who achieved times during the Olympic requirements, qualify directly to the Olympics.

America to home country Denmark
About a year ago Andkjær returned to Denmark after spending five years at an American college, where he had top training facilities. He has improved and gained better time on the short lanes.

Now he has changed the American training environment to the Danish, and he believes that it takes time to accustom the body to the Danish facilities and the hard training.

Said Andkjær: “It has taken a while to get the body used to being back home again. Here in Denmark we train more in cardio workout, so that means we must swim longer and harder at every training. I'm still building up the mold and I am very tired at the moment.”

The 26-year-old swimmer was in the Olympics in Beijing in 2008, where he ended up at 19^th place.

Lars Sorensen believes it can succeed for him, and we will see him swim for Denmark at the Olympics in London:

“He is highly motivated and give it his all at every workout. His first hurdle is the Danish Open (Qualifying Event), and it is not certain that he'll make it. There's always a risk, and where there is a risk there is a chance.”

National Team Coach Paulus Wildeboer thinks that there is still a long way for the Danish fighter.

Said Wildeboer: “He has an extreme talent, but time is running out. He is not the youngest swimmer anymore, and it costs more energy for the body to recover. But Jacob is still very keen to learn and get better. Mentally he is strong enough, but it will take a lot for him physically to qualify for Olympics.”