Dubai swimmer Stjepanovic has euros on his mind

Dubai: After qualifying to 2012 Olympic Games and taking a stomach bug in his stride, Dubai-born Velimir Stjepanovic wants to ensure the Serbian 4x200 metres relay team also joins him in London later this summer.

"I was out of the pool for a full week due to gastritis, which isn't great. But I tried to take the positives out of it by getting rested. Since then I have been training hard keeping the European Long Course Championships [in Hungary] in mind," Stjepanovic told Gulf News prior to his departure to Hungary on Sunday.

Not yet 19, Stjepanovic has a list of swimming achievements to his name including carrying the Serbian flag at the opening ceremony for the inaugural Youth Olympic Games held in Singapore in 2010. He was declared the best young athlete by the Olympic Committee of Serbia later that year.

Stjepanovic dominated in his events at the 2011 European Junior Swimming Championships, winning gold in the 100m Freestyle and 100m Butterfly, and in the same year, he went on to represent Serbia at the World Aquatics Championships in Shanghai where he competed in the 100m and 400m Freestyle and 200m Butterfly.

"He is in a good frame at the moment and he should be peaking in time for London," coach Chris Tidey said.

"I won't be resting there [in Hungary] and will be pretty much in full training. I will start my rest only after getting to Hungary. I will be half rested for the 4x200 m relay so that Serbia can try and get the qualifying time for the Olympics," he affirmed.

Stjepanovic confirmed his participation for the London Games when he set the fastest 200m Butterfly time of the year [1 min, 56.18 secs] at the Aquatics Centre in London in the first week of March this year.

"But it is also important for me to have Serbia in the relay and to achieve this I will try and give my best and get the team to the qualifying mark," he said.

"I am hoping to get a time under 1.50 minutes, and along with the rest I should come along fine," he added.

In Bulgaria this week, Stjepanovic will also swim in the 400 freestyle and the 4x100 freestyle relay followed by his pet 200m butterfly. "I should be feeling relatively good as it is about four days rest. That's a lot more than I actually have and things should be really good," he said.