Relaxed Jackson gears up for Olympic challenge (From The Northern Echo)

Relaxed Jackson gears up for Olympic challenge

10:20am Saturday 13th February 2010 in Sport

SLEEPLESS nights are par for the course for Winter Olympians in waiting but Stockton biathlete Lee-Steve Jackson insists he is finally resting easy as the Vancouver Games begin.

After losing out in a headto- head battle with Tom Clemens for a seat on the plane to Turin 2006, Jackson has been waiting longer than most to take his Olympic bow.

Despite Clemens retiring shortly after the closing ceremony in Italy, Jackson was made to sweat over his Games berth after enduring a nightmare start to the season, finishing outside the top 100 in back-to-back events in Sweden and Austria.

But after finally entering the gates of the Athletes’ Village four years later than planned, Jackson admits the weight of expectation has been lifted.

“There’ll be no pressure to perform well from BiathlonGB whereas I know the Canadians and a few other countries have high pressure on them from their governing bodies,” said Jackson.

“I feel comfortable that I can just go out there and give it my best shot.

“I’m really happy to be here but it’s important to keep my emotions static.

“Ideally, come the competitions, I won’t be too excited or too nervous. I never really get nervous and I don’t think things will be any different here.

“I’m competing against the same people I always do and I know my preparation has been perfect, so I’m relaxed about my chances really.

“It’s been a long wait for me to be here as well. I was on the brink in Turin but I wasn’t quite qualified.

“I had one qualification standard but Tom Clemens had a couple, so he got the nod. So it was a big relief when I was nominated this year. I wasn’t worried but until the nominations are made, there’s always that slight doubt in your mind.”

Jackson, a Lance-Corporal with 2nd Battalion, The Rifles, implemented an intensive training regime to prepare him for his Olympic bow. Despite seeing his World Cup results suffer as a result, Jackson is backing his personal programme to deliver the right results when it matters most.

“I had mixed results before Christmas, to be honest,”

added Jackson. “But I was training specifically for the Olympics and my coach and I knew we weren’t going to be in shape early on in the season.

“But you still want to be at your best and gradually I’ve been getting quicker and quicker on the snow.

“My shooting had been missing in the last few World Cups, which was really disappointing, and when I came over here I struggled with the altitude as well.

“But in my last training I shot 20 out of 20, which is pretty rare and has been a big confidence boost. I’m ironing out any problems with my shooting at the right time.

“If I shoot 19 or 20 targets in the pursuit or individual, a top-20 place is realistic for me.”

■ Lloyds TSB, proud partner of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and supporter of Team GB on their journey to Vancouver 2010. Visit LloydsTSB.com/London2012