BBC SPORT | Other Sports | Swimming chief warns of over-confidence

See the full interview with Bill Sweetenham on BBC Breakfast News on Thursday between 0600 BST and 0800 BST.

Performance director Bill Sweetenham believes British swimming has "a long way to go" before it can compete with the likes of Australia and the United States.

Sweetenham was charged with the job of improving the performance of the British swimming team after a disastrous Olympics in 2000 when they failed to win a single medal.

We're still a long long way behind the top countries in terms of facilities

Bill Sweetenham

But the performance of the home nations in the pool was one of the success stories at this year's Commonwealth Games, leading many to believe that the sport was back on track.

Commonwealth Games swimming highlights

However, Sweetenham said there would be no room for complacency and that there was still work to be done.

"There were some encouraging signs at the Commonwealth Games," he told BBC Breakfast News.

"But I don't consider us to be ahead of schedule - we have a long long way to go.

"Britain is moving ahead at a tremendous speed but we have to move forward at a much greater speed than the likes of Australia, Canada, the United States and Germany because we came from so much further behind."

Sweetenham, currently preparing the team for the British Short Course Championships on 12 September, expressed particular concern about the lack of facilities and funding available to elite athletes in Britain.

"We're still a long long way behind the top countries in terms of facilities," he said."

Karen Pickering won Commonwealth gold in the 200m freestyle

"Any new facilities are going to be very welcome providing we can get pool space at affordable prices.

"The job has been much harder than I expected because I didn't realise the fact that it has a very limited budget and very restricted facilities."

But Sweetenham was nonetheless hopeful about Britain's medal prospects at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

"I don't want to put pressure on the team by predicting how many medals we might get," he said.

"Certainly we want to be on the podium but we want a culture to come through and assist British swimmers that will ensure that Britain as a nation will always be guaranteed great performances at every meet.

"We've come through since Sydney which everyone was very critical of - I think we're on the move - we've got a system in place that is going to carry Britain forward."


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