Right now in the Olympic sailing city of Qingdao it’s as sunny as any slightly hazy day at home. Meanwhile in Beijing, viability is <1km due to fog or smog. That’s quite normal for Beijing but seeing so much blue sky here is odd for us.

Sailors typically spend more time in an Olympic venue prior to the Games than any other athletes at their venues. Of course, we need to in order to discover specific nuances of water and wind. From the times we’ve been here in the last 2 years we’ve become use to not being able to see further than a kilometer and often much less. It’s odd at first, but you get used to it. It’s just how it is.

There are some specific rules I follow to get ready for a new venue. If it’s as important as the ‘Games, go there a few times in the 2 years before. If you’re going to a hot venue from a cold one, you’ll need at least 2 weeks to allow the body to acclimatize. If there is a significant time zone change, a minimum of 4 days is needed to adjust. If you’re not sure about the food, take some little snacks as back up.

Also, do a lot of research, combining Google, Google earth, travel books and the knowledge of people who’ve been there.

Mentally, I like to keep in touch with home via Skype as well as listening to some favorite radio podcasts. Of course, hanging out with a team of 30 or so Aussies means you never feel too far from home either.

All this is needed to allow the distractions to subside and let the years of training do their job.

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