JAZZ Carlin is not letting events away from sport have an impact on her build-up to the Olympic Games as she prepares for the biggest performance of her career.
The build-up to the Games in Rio have been over-shadowed in recent weeks as health scares, drug scandals and infrastructure issues have come to the fore.
Russia have dominated the headlines in recent days as they avoided a blanket ban from the International Olympic Committee.
Instead it will be down to individual federations to decide whether Russian athletes should be banned from participation after a damning report claimed the state were involved in a doping cover-up between 2011 and 2015.
Meanwhile, there are still concerns being raised about the health of athletes heading to Rio, with 21 men, including world number one Jason Day, pulling out of the golf competition, citing concerns about the Zika virus.
With just 10 days to go until the opening ceremony at the Maracaña Stadium, there have also been concerns raised about the accommodation for athletes at the Olympic village, with Australia refusing to move their competitors in due to issues with ‘blocked toilets, leaking pipes and exposed wiring’.
In spite of this, Carlin is just concentrating on her own preparations, with the 25-year-old currently at a training camp in Belo Horizonte with British Swimming, and won’t let it spoil her enjoyment of the Games.
“For me, I am just going over there to do a swimming race,” she told the Adver. “I have done the race over hundreds and hundreds of times - it is something I have dreamt about.
“I feel really focused to go there and give it my best.
“Obviously there is a lot of controversy going around it but I just try and get my head down and do what I can control. If I can be in control of training and things like that then I am sure the rest will take care of itself.”
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