26 year old Dave Davies has been turning heads on swimming’s world stage since 2002,
when he sliced a staggering 50 seconds off his previous personal best in the 1500m
freestyle final at the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games and was voted Europe’s
best male newcomer that year. Two years later he won bronze in the same event at
the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, and has been on the medal podium at virtually every major international
event ever since.
Dave grew up in the Welsh town of Barry, near Cardiff. His first taste of sporting
success was as Welsh age group champion in the under 11s in 1996. In 1999 Dave was
selected for the Welsh under 15s team and he never looked back.
Dave has recently moved back to Cardiff, to train with his old coach Dave Haller, after a stint in Loughborough. He is enjoying being home and relishing the chance to see his beloved Cardiff City football team on a more frequent basis. Dave is very proud of his Welsh background, and regularly conducts media interviews at major international events around the world speaking fluent Welsh as well as English.
Dave’s silver medal performance in the 10km open water swimming event at the 2008
Beijing Olympic Games, in only his third competitive race over the distance, proved
without a doubt that he is Great Britain’s most successful male swimmer in the past
20 years. Having achieved so much at such a young age, Dave looks to be a great
chance to follow up his Olympic bronze and silver medals with gold in London in
2012.
2010 saw Dave competing for Wales at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, where he was given the honour of carrying the Welsh flag in the Opening Ceremony - a career highlight for any athlete, but especially for such a proud nation. During the year, he also competed in numerous open water races as he looks to add to his experience in the event which is likely to be his best chance of a gold medal in London 2012.