Belinda Hocking is just getting to a stage in her career where she believes, where she does not need to be told that she is good enough, she knows she is.
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And the 23-year-old, whose first senior team was at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, is reaping the benefits of that self-belief. In Brisbane on Friday night, she added another 200 metre backstroke national title at the selection trials for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games to the silver medal she won at last year's world titles.
Not only is Hocking looking towards the 100 and 200 backstroke at the Commonwealth Games, that begin in July, but she will also compete at the Pan Pacific championships on the Gold Coast in August, and it is there that she expects to meet America's Olympic and world champion Missy Franklin.
Hocking said Franklin, who this month was named the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year, was the ultimate challenge.
"Commies [Commonwealth Games] is such an Australian event, we carry so much pride in them and I know that I am so proud to be representing Australia, and it's a great meet," she said.
"[But] Missy's phenomenal - everyone knows that, so I just get in there and I enjoy racing with her and I know that one day when I'm older I'll look back and say I got to race Missy Franklin. It's just exciting for me.''
Hocking said even though she was not happy with her winning time of two minutes 7.52 seconds, which is slower than she swum earlier this year, with 100 breaststroke champion Emily Seebohm touching in second (2:08.28) and Meagen Nay (2:08.44), she was learning to be satisfied if she had achieved her goal.
"Sometimes it's just about getting on the podium, which I did tonight. I think that's my sixth consecutive 200 back win at the Australian championships, and that's pretty special to me," she said.
"My best races are the ones I don't really remember what I did. I just went in, had fun and raced it, so I think that I just have to keep that mentality that I'm happy with the result. The time wasn't great but I won, so I'm happy."
Meanwhile, Alicia Coutts said her decision to drop the 100 freestyle paid off when she won the 200 individual medley final in 2:07.52, and earned a place in the 50 butterfly by coming second in the final to Marieke D'Cruz.
Coutts has placed at risk a chance of what she regards as a "guaranteed gold" in the 4x100 freestyle relay in order to concentrate on her pet event, the 200IM, but was satisfied with the result.
"I was really happy with that time. My coach said if i went under 2:09.45 I could go to Wet 'n' Wild, so that's a bonus, but mostly I wanted to get top three in the world.
"I think if I had done the 100 free I wouldn't have gone that fast tonight; it is taxing on the body, so I'm just really glad I made that decision and concentrated on an event that I have a really good chance of winning in Glasgow."
