Tritton ready to reignite
Nick Tritton’s body is ready to work.
During this past winter, the 73kg judo medal threat from from Perth, Ont. has focused on putting injuries away and getting himself prepared for an Olympic journey he knows won’t accommodate a detour.
“I have to win,” said the 26 year-old. “That’s the whole point. I’m not a guy who does it because I like the sport. I do it because I want to win.”
Tritton’s not alone. He shares this sentiment with his elite athlete peers in Canada who took advantage of some winning energy as they gathered together at the recent Series of Excellence (OES) conference in Mississauga, Ont.
“The mentality of this (Olympic hopeful) team has changed,” says Tritton. “We’re going (to London) to have the best possible performance as we can, and I really believe if everybody does their part we will.
“This reignites everything,” he said about the mark the OES conference left on the attitude of the group.
For Tritton, this fire burns for one reason.
“Right now, all I’m thinking is London.”
After a performance in Beijing he knows should have been better after losing in the first round, the 2010 Pan Am gold medallist says four years of making the most of his Olympic knowledge and experience will play a big part in his training leading up to the 2012 Games.
In Judo, he says, timing is huge.
“This time around I’m training just as hard, probably harder. But we have a one-day sport and the science behind it is incredible … we are a single-elimination sport, there’s no chance to come back for bronze,” said Tritton, who lives and trains in Montreal. “So, the main thing I learned (from Beijing) is to listen to your body.”
This time around Tritton’s body is telling him one thing: win.
It’s a good thing he’s listening closely.
