Speed skater Lachlan Hay has pretty lofty ambitions heading into the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games.

Not in terms of an expected placing, or a medal, or a particular performance in the 1000 metre event, but rather a feeling.

“I want to feel proud,” he revealed.

“And I want others to look at my performances and feel the same thing,” he added.

Hay, who will compete in his second Olympics in Vancouver after being a member of the relay squad in Torino has clear expectations come February.

“Australia has such a great history at the Olympics – Summer and Winter, and I just want to be able to say I contributed to that,” he said.

“It would be great for the Australian team, the general public and the AOC to be able to say after Vancouver that they were proud of what I achieved, irrespective of what the end result might be,” he added.

Hay knows he will be up against it in Vancouver with powerhouse nations like Korea, China and home nation Canada expected to fight out the medals.

His event is often seen as the glamour event of the speed skating program – a mixture of speed, power, endurance and tactics.

And the mental part of his preparation is in good shape following a gruelling December that assured him a place on the team.

Hay had to defeat his good mate Jeremy Beck in a skate-off to see who would take the one place Australia had qualified for in Vancouver.

“That skate-off against Jeremy was really tough, but it all came down to executing a plan – mental preparation was what it was all about,” he said.

“I train everyday with Jeremy, I know how he skates and he knows what I do so it came down to a match race,” he added.

Hay freely admits that executing plans in races has long been a weakness in making him take that next step to the upper echelon of the international competitors – but he know heads into Vancouver knowing that part of his arsenal his in great shape.

And he believes that only qualifying for one event will assist keeping his mind on the job in February.

“Other skaters have qualified in two or three events and the relays as well, so their minds can be all over the place with training, competing, resting and all the other stuff, but for me it all comes down to one chance, one shot so I need to make it count,” he revealed.

Having experienced a Games before at such a young age (he was 19 in Torino), Hay believes he will have an advantage over some of his rivals.

“No matter what anyone tries to tell you, the Olympics is nothing like anything else – that’s why they are so special, but at the same time it is really easy to get caught up in the hype and the hoopla and lose focus,” he said.

Having been on the international stage for quite some time now, Hay has a taste for other Olympic sports and is desperate to watch some of the snow sports in February, nominating the aerials and snowboarding as “must see” events.

“They are just amazing to watch and when you have the best of the world together competing in any sport it is going to be special and this will be the best of the best,” he declared.

Hay also believes that these Games have all the ingredients to be remembered for years to come.

“I can’t wait to be honest.

“Canada is such an amazing place – the countryside is beautiful, the people are terrific and there is a real excitement about the Olympics.

“It’s going to be one hell of a show,”.

Damian Kelly
AOC