Four of the best: Good times on the way

By PETER JESSUP

For medley swimmer Dean Kent, this year is all about consolidation.

He has steadily improved his times in the 200m and 400m to the point where he is pushing into the world rankings.

The 22-year-old has already qualified for both events at the Commonwealth Games and is firmly focused on winning the prizes that make all those hours of going up and down watching the black line worthwhile.

Kent has had plenty of international experience after swimming at the Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games and the Sydney Olympics.

Training under Jan Cameron, with help from Russian Olympic backstroke medallist Igor Polyansky, Kent has impressed in both events. At the September Goodwill Games in Brisbane he clocked personal bests and beat the Games qualifying marks.

Already this year he has had the pleasure of beating the Australian "Thorpedo" Ian Thorpe into second at the New South Wales championships.

The Olympic freestyle gold medallist was one second behind Kent in four disciplines over 200m and four seconds behind over 400m.

"I don't know if he gave up because he figured he couldn't catch me on the freestyle leg," Kent said, "but yeah, it was good, and I was happy with my times, coming immediately after Christmas."

His aim now is to get to the world short-course event in Moscow in early April, then to cement his Manchester Games place with good performances in the national championships at the Waitakere Aquatic Centre in mid-April.

Kent hopes to race in Australia and the United States with other Games team members, then go into camp in France before moving to the Games village.

That's the dream. Right now it's six hours a day training, six days a week - five hours in the pool plus gym work, weights and special strength work.

That fits around a part-time job as beach educator at the Mairangi Bay Surf Lifesaving Club.

"I'm looking forward to the Games," he said. "It's exciting because I'm getting to a place where I'm very competitive. I really want to do well there, so it's easy to get motivated."