The Missile takes aim at Rio redemption

Dual world champion James Magnussen reckons he is finally on track to "set things straight" at August's Rio Games in the wake of his London Olympic debacle.

Ever since James Magnussen came to his senses after shoulder surgery last year, the dual world champion has obsessed over Olympic redemption at Rio.

Now Magnussen reckons he is finally on track to "set things straight" at August's Games.

Magnussen appeared vulnerable ahead of the Rio trials starting in Adelaide on Thursday returning from the shoulder operation that sidelined him for nine months and kept him from racing for a year.

Especially with world No.1 Cameron McEvoy and in-form young gun Kyle Chalmers standing in his way of a 100m freestyle Olympic selection nod.

Only two individual Olympic 100m spots are up for grabs in Adelaide.

But Magnussen said the bitter fallout over his London debacle would fuel his Rio Olympic tilt.

"Since I woke up from the anaesthetic I have had the Olympics on my mind," Magnussen said.

"I have been working towards that ever since."

Magnussen cut a devastated figure at London when he warned rivals to "brace yourselves", only to miss out on 2012 Olympic 100m gold by 0.01sec to American Nathan Adrian.

He also crashed and burned in the 4x100m freestyle relay final, ensuring Australia's much touted "Weapons of Mass Destruction" team self detonated at London, finishing fourth.

"It has kept me going for four years," Magnussen said of his London results.

"Ever since that London race I have felt there is unfinished business, that I would go back again to set things straight.

"I use it as motivation every day."

Shoulder surgery robbed Magnussen of a chance to have a crack at a record third straight 100m freestyle title at last year's world titles in Russia.

However, Magnussen believed he was finally back on track to challenge the world's best when he clocked 48.85 seconds as the lead swimmer in the 4x100m freestyle club relay for his club Ravenswood at last month's NSW titles.

It may be a world away from his PB 47.10 but Magnussen was finally convinced he was back after months of frustration.

"That was a confidence booster," Magnussen said of the relay time.

"The toughest thing in my recovery was getting back to racing.

"To have 12 months without racing, it was foreign to me.

"I knew I was in better shape than my results showed - it was frustrating.

"It (NSW titles) showed I was where I was meant to be."

For his next trick Magnussen will attempt to convince himself that the shoulder injury never happened.

"Physically I have hit all the benchmarks," he said.

"My shoulder is back to full strength.

"Now I am going to clear it out my mind and swim like it's a normal trials."


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Source: AAP



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