Paris 2024 Olympics: How Australia’s swimming team stays ‘race-ready’ while traveling | Flight tips

By the handful Olympic medals already won by Australian swimmers, including a gold to Ariarne Titmus in what has been called the ‘race of the century’, it is clear that the dolphins have arrived Paris done and ready to go.

Despite the long travel hoursdays of last-minute training efforts, and a opening ceremony in the rain, the athletes had to feel their best when it came time to walk onto the pool deck.

Anyone who has done a lot long distance travel before we know this is an easy task: jet lag can be a cruel, cruel beast.

So it’s no surprise that the athletes have a few tricks up their sleeves to ensure that the long hours on the road (and in the air) don’t have a huge impact on their performance in the water.

This way they remain ‘race-ready’:

• Pre-flight stretching: Stretching and exercising before a flight to minimize fatigue.
• Compression gear: Change into compression stockings or leggings before boarding.
• Adaptability: Be adaptable to flight delays and transportation disruptions beyond their control.
• Movement in the plane: Walk a few laps around the cabin every 30 minutes, stretching gently and being aware of the posture. Using pillows or props to support joints.
• Resting on the plane: Choose sleep times to quickly adjust to the destination time zone. Use eye masks, noise-cancelling headphones or earplugs, neck pillows, and minimize light exposure to improve sleep quality.

• To adjust the body clock: Follow a post-travel jet lag protocol, establish a regular nighttime sleep routine upon arrival, use short naps wisely, and stay awake during the day with natural light, light activity, and avoid caffeine in the afternoon and evening.
• Food and hydration: Get into a normal meal pattern upon arrival. Use carbohydrate meals to promote nighttime sleep, avoid stimulants such as caffeine after noon for the first three days, and don’t go to bed overhydrated.
• Arrival routine: Try to sleep close to a normal bedtime to adjust to the new time zone. If you arrive in the evening, stay out in the sun and stay awake until bedtime at the new destination.

Managing Olympic trips

Brisbane-based Flight Center Travel Group’s Stage and Screen has ensured that the Australian swimming team is not only physically ready, but also logistically prepared for the challenges of international competition.

For Swimming Australia, minimal disruption to their athletes will be key before the Dolphins hit the blocks.

“For us, traveling means acclimatising to the time zone we will be competing in and getting a good training block in before we start,” said Swimming Australia Executive General Manager Commercial Jodie Hawkins.

“[Stage and Screen] hold our group reservations, negotiate better deals with certain providers, facilitate last-minute changes, investigate what suits based on their knowledge and our briefing.”

It is a role in the travel strategy orchestra that Swimming Australia says is crucial to the success of its athletes.

“Athletes and coaches are ordinary people, they like routine and appreciate schedules that are closely followed. It is so important to make our journey to destinations as short as possible and ensure that everything runs smoothly,” she added.

“This means our teams are ready to focus on training and competition, with minimal disruption and in the right frame of mind.”

Australia’s winning swimming team

In a competition billed as the “race of the century”, the women’s 400 meter freestyle final, Ariarne Titmus defeated prodigious Canadian teenager Summer McIntoshand destroyed American legend Katie Ledecky to earn the Dolphins’ first gold medal of the Games.

Then the Australian relay team won gold in the 4×100 meter freestyle. Mollie O’Callaghan, Shayna Jack, Emma McKeon and Meg Harris defeated the United States and China to break their own Olympic record.

Australia has won gold at the event in London 2012, Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and now Paris 2024.

The Dolphins returned to the Olympic Village not only with two gold medals, but also with some silverware.

Elijah Winnington took silver in the men’s 400m freestyle, and in the men’s 4x100m freestyle, Kyle Chalmers fired home after big efforts from Jack Cartwright, Flynn Southam and Kai Taylor to help the Aussies reach the podium .

Watch every moment, every medal of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games live and free on Channel 9 and 9Now. Additionally, each event is ad-free and in 4K Stan Sports.