Katy Sexton became the first British female swimmer to win a world championship title in 2003.

It’s not long until the British Olympic swimming trials in March, and it’s really exciting because it’s the first time I’m going to see the new pool in London. Days are ticking by and it’s getting really close.

I’m really excited by the prospect of actually competing at the Olympic pool for the first instance in the trials, and then hopefully I can convert my times into a place on the team and compete there again in the summer. I went to Sydney in 2000 and Athens in 2004, and I want to be involved again.

Having the Olympics in London will be amazing. I went to the Commonwealth Games in Manchester in 2002 and that was a fantastic experience. It makes it even more exciting because your family and friends can be more part of the whole concept of what you’re going for.

At home it’s more accessible for them and they can understand a bit more the passion you have for the sport. It makes it that extra bit special.

When I missed out on the team for Beijing in 2008 it was heartbreaking. I’d done everything I could but I fell at the last hurdle. They only take two competitors for each event, and at our trials you have to do the times on the day to go through. I did the time but I was third on the day.

After that I very much felt like, “I’ve trained for four years to do this, what do I do now?” There were about eight of us in that position after the Beijing trials. We went to the U.S. nationals, our last main meet of the year. Then it was a case of sitting around and back to the drawing board. Thinking about what to do, how to move forward and if I want to move forward.

I got married in the summer of ‘08 so there was all of that going on as well, and there were a few problems in my personal life, so swimming took a back seat for the first half of this four-year cycle. I fractured my ribs and that led to other complications with my back, so I was forced to take some time off - which was something I hadn’t done in 13 or 14 years swimming at the top of my game.

It’s something I wish I’d done sooner in life. It gave me time to appreciate what I had done, and when I did get back into swimming after about four months out, I was ready and raring to go, re-energized and wanting it even more. The hunger was back again. I wish it was something I’d done earlier.

The last six years I’ve been funding myself, so it’s a case of “I can do it without anyone’s help, I’m doing it my way and I can still do it well my way.”

I’m quite susceptible to being injury prone and illness prone, so it’s about keeping that at bay, keeping strong mentally. When you’re at the starting blocks, it doesn’t matter what happens from the neck down, it’s neck up. You could have the worst preparation but as long as you can get in the right frame of mind, everything else is irrelevant.

At the moment I’m doing eight or nine swimming sessions a week. I’m training myself. I’m doing a weight program that is assisted by Mark Foster, a legendary British sprint swimmer who was a world and European champion in short-course events. I worked with him before Beijing, it’s just the weights side of stuff and it’s something we’ve continued to do.

I also do coaching. When I had that forced time off I set up my own swim academy in Havant, outside of Portsmouth where I’m from. It’s something I always wanted to do, and I had time to do it. It’s my way of giving back to my local community. It’s not something I’ve just put my name on - I’m actually hands on with it.

It’s quite nice to do something that’s not directly about me. It’s so nice to be able to watch kids enjoy the water and progress to actually swimming. It’s very basic beginner level that we’re doing.

I’m going to be 30 not long before London 2012. Everyone always says that it’s good to be still swimming at my age, but I was doing it really well at a young age. For example you had Dara Torres, who won silver medals for the U.S. at the last Olympic Games - she was in her 40s. I can remember going to Sydney in 200 and it was a big deal because she was making her comeback at 30-something then. If you can hack it, why not.

What do you think? Is there anything you'd like to know about my bid to qualify? Do you have any questions about how athletes train for big events? Please let me know below and I'll try to answer them in my next blog.

Posted by: British swimmer, Katy Sexton
Filed under: Olympics

Tiger Woods has joined many of the world's top golfers in Abu Dhabi for the European Tour event.

Tiger Woods remains the biggest attraction in the world of golf. Despite a lackluster run that has lasted two full years, and being dogged by his off-course dramas, the former world No.1 has proven yet again why he can pull in a crowd with his season-opening appearance in the Middle East.

Abu Dhabi is an unusual place for him to start his season, but there were several key factors in his decision to begin the year on the European Tour. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by: Living Golf presenter, Shane O'Donoghue
Filed under: Golf

David Alvarez scored the goal which sent Equatorial Guinea through and Senegal crashing out. (Getty Images)

The African Cup of Nations is coming to the end of its first week and, as I predicted before the start of the tournament, there have already been massive shocks and they are set to continue.

I’m delighted for Equatorial Guinea. Their victory over one of the favorites, Senegal, was a stunning result for a nation of just over 700,000 people and ranked 151st in the world.

They kept to a strict game plan and were rewarded with a 2-1 victory which eliminated Senegal, who will be going home after their final group game. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by: Dickson Etuhu, Nigeria international footballer
Filed under: Football

Is coach Jose Mourinho falling out of love with Real Madrid after being booed by the club's fans? (Getty Images)

If you believe the hype, Jose Mourinho is on his way out of Real Madrid. According to various reports and sources close to the Portuguese manager, he has had enough of dealing with the local press and the alleged discontent from the Spanish contingent in the dressing room and is ready to walk out at the end of this season.

Is this true? Yes and no.

I think he will quit the Santiago Bernabeu in June, but not for the reasons which have been circulating in the media over the last few days. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by: CNN World Sport Anchor, Pedro Pinto
Filed under: Football

Fulham midfielder Dickson Etuhu has represented Nigeria at the highest level. (Getty Images)

I'm passionate about the African Cup of Nations. I've played in it twice for Nigeria and it's the most amazing experience I have had in football, even better than the World Cup and the English Premier League where I play for Fulham.

In Africa, football really is like a religion. It unites people of all backgrounds, it brings them together in common cause, and victory in the Cup of Nations is considered the pinnacle of achievement.

But for some countries, like Libya, just getting to the finals is an incredible achievement. I'll certainly be looking out for them in this tournament and I'm really hoping they can qualify out of their group. I understand that some of their players were at the sharp end of the turmoil, even taking part in the fighting, as Gadhafi was toppled from power. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by: Dickson Etuhu, Nigeria international footballer
Filed under: Football

CNN's Don Riddell interviewed F1 driver Bruno Senna, left, in Monaco last year

The name Senna was already on many people’s lips on Tuesday, when the eponymous documentary picked up three richly-deserved BAFTA nominations. That Williams, the Formula One team so tragically and inextricably linked to Ayrton’s death, should choose the same day to announce the signing of his 28-year-old nephew, Bruno, was remarkably poetic.

So much has been written about Ayrton Senna that his story scarcely needs retelling, even if it remains utterly fascinating. But outside of his family connections, Bruno Senna is less well-known. Ayrton himself once said, “If you think I’m fast, wait until you see my nephew!”

But the 10-year-old’s racing career almost died too on that tragic day at Imola in 1994 when his family, quite understandably, forbade him to continue. However, following a decade’s hiatus from the sport, its lure finally proved too seductive, and Bruno took to the track once more. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by: CNN World Sport Anchor, Don Riddell
Filed under: Motorsport

Can Chelsea striker Didier Drogba lead the Ivory Coast to African Cup of Nations glory? (Getty Images)

Most of the talk leading up to this weekend's start of the 2012 African Cup of Nations has focused on the teams who won’t be there, rather than on the ones who will.

It's understandable, considering Egypt, Cameroon and Nigeria – who have a combined total of 13 titles – didn’t qualify for the tournament, which will take place in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. That means we won’t be seeing the likes of Mohamed Zidane, Samuel Eto’o or Jon Obi Mikel, among others, in action over the next month.

However, just because three traditional contenders didn’t make it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t care about the competition. Quite the opposite. There are other emerging powers on the continent and plenty of new players to discover over the event's three weeks. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by: CNN World Sport Anchor, Pedro Pinto
Filed under: Football

Kim Clijsters, left, and Novak Djokovic took home the winners' trophies in Melbourne last year.

There are two burning questions ahead of the tennis season’s opening grand slam in Melbourne: can Novak Djokovic repeat his stellar form from last year, and will the women’s No. 1 be a major winner ?

Djokovic’s Australian Open preparations have been relatively low-key again, an approach that worked last year as he launched a 43-match winning streak in Melbourne and ended the year as world No. 1 with three of the four coveted crowns.

While in 2011 he played in the non-sanctioned Hopman Cup mixed teams event, this month the Serbian made do with scooping $250,000 at an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by: CNN Digital Sports Writer, Gary Morley
Filed under: Tennis

Lionel Messi (left) was crowned the world's best player on Monday, while Guardiola was named football's top coach.

This week I traveled to Zurich to cover the 2011 FIFA Ballon D’Or awards ceremony. The event crowned Leo Messi as the best footballer on the planet and Pep Guardiola as the top manager in the game.

No argument from me on both counts, as the little Argentine and the Spanish coach enjoyed a phenomenal year during which Barcelona won five out of a possible six trophies.

While I was in Switzerland, I was asked by several colleagues why I thought Barca were so good. Was it the academy, was it down to Messi’s brilliance, or Xavi’s playmaking ability perhaps? Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by: CNN World Sport Anchor, Pedro Pinto
Filed under: Football

Belgium's Jacques Rogge has been head of the IOC for more than a decade.

With London 2012 just 200 days away, this is a significant year for the International Olympic Committee.

The British organizers of the four-yearly sporting showpiece have contended with ticketing controversies and faced transport, security and budgeting challenges in their bid to follow in the footsteps of Beijing four years ago.

Illegal gambling has also been on the rise in worldwide sport, and London chiefs have identified it as a bigger threat to this year’s Games than drugs. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by: CNN Digital Sports Writer, Gary Morley
Filed under: Olympics