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Romero's golden vision
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| Fingers-crossed: World track cycling champion Rebecca Romero and Olympic swimming gold medallist Duncan Goodhew at the National Lottery pod for the World Short Course Swimming Championships in Manchester |
Rebecca Romero insists only gold will do at this summer's Olympic Games if she wants to be accepted in to the British cycling fraternity, writes Rory Haywood.
The 2004 Athens Olympics rowing silver medallist will arrive in Beijing as favourite for the women's 3,000m individual pursuit after beating American world champion Sarah Hammer to win gold at last month's World Championships.
Carshalton-born Romero, who quit rowing because of a back injury in 2006, won two of Britain's nine gold medals, setting a world record time with Cheam 19-year-old Joanna Rowsell and Wendy Houvenaghel in the team event.
But the former Kingston Rowing Club member revealed the likes of Olympic champion Chris Hoy and world and Commonwealth champion Victoria Pendleton would soon forget her unless she repeats the trick in the Far East.
"In cycling, it is all about gold. Anything less is acknowledged but nothing more," said 28-year-old Romero.
"Last year, when I got a silver medal at the worlds, I got a pat on the back and it was never mentioned again.
"That is something I like because when there is that aura of gold and it is the only thing the team accepts, everyone steps up to that challenge.
"We will be going for gold all the way in Beijing.
"You re only as good as your next race.
"The ultimate target this year is the Olympics.
"Sometimes when you win it is easy to just say we'll carry on doing the same thing, but that is not necessarily the right thing to do."
Romero appears to be on course to become the first woman to win Olympic medals in two sports, but insists victory in Manchester gives her no divine right to gold in Beijing.
"I don't have a problem with being the favourite," she added.
"It depends on what kind of personality you are and how you deal with it.
"You are being tested physically as an athlete, but the mental capacity is tested as well.
"It is going to get harder from now on. The worlds were a hard-enough test, but it is all to play for again.
"Manchester was fantastic, but it doesn't guarantee me a medal in Beijing. I need to go there and get it."
l The National Lottery will play a major role in funding London 2012, with already £3billion Lottery investment into sport in the UK to date.
8:11am Tuesday 22nd April 2008
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