The 400m individual medley is one of the most gruelling events on the Olympic swimming schedule. It demands multi-stroke ability and a strong pair of lungs to cope with the eight, stamina-sapping lengths.

But Euan Dale is well-suited to coping with just such high demands. A rugged Borderer, he has been a committed swimmer from an early age and already has a couple of silver medals - one individual and one relay - from the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

He has no doubts that competing for GB at the Olympics in Beijing, in just a few weeks' time, will be the new highlight of his career so far.

"Qualifying at the trials in Sheffield in April was brilliant, and now I'm really enjoying the build-up to Beijing," he said. "We've had a GB men's team training camp in Sardinia, and then we're competing in Rome at the start of June.

"My event is going to be pretty open at the Olympics, but the Americans tend to dominate.  My goal is just to swim my best ever time and see where it takes me."

It was around 11 years ago that Euan, now 22, tagged along with his older brother, Douglas, to the local baths in the Borders town of Duns. But while Douglas moved to the more conventional sport of rugby, Euan was headhunted for his nautical skills.

"I did dabble in athletics and cross-country, but then I went to Millfield School (in Somerset) on a swimming scholarship," he explained. "And it's really been my big focus ever since."

From school, he then went on to Loughborough University - an establishment famed for assisting sporting brilliance - and he has completed the first two years of an accounting and finance degree.

"I have taken this year out, but will go back after the Olympics to complete my studies," said the Scot, who clearly has his priorities all added up. "Getting a degree is very important to me."

At Loughborough, he has a couple of Scots - David Carry and Caitlin McClatchey - as training partners, and he is full of praise for the set up. "We have recently got a new coach - Dave McNulty - and he is great," he said.

He is also delighted that Fred Vergnoux, the Head coach at City of Edinburgh, has been brought on board as the men's British Olympic coach. "Fred is fantastic," Euan enthused. "He's really good fun, but also knows how to get the very best out of us."

As for his swimming future, Euan refuses to look any further than the final day of the Olympic competition in China. He agrees that the 2010 Commonwealth Games are a tempting prospect, and that a second Olympics in London 2012 is an enticing carrot.

"All the British competitors will get a lot more attention in London, which would be great," he said. "I'll still be young enough, but it's another four years and that is a big commitment. At the moment, I've not made any firm decisions." Indeed, all he is thinking about is performing to the best of his ability in Beijing.

EB
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