The Dunedin swim coach said Tokyo was an ‘‘overall really good’’ Olympics for Erika Fairweather.
The 17-year-old Kavanagh College pupil swam in the 400m freestyle final and also made the 200m semifinal.
But he knows the next two months shape as key in paving the way to the 2024 Games.
There are two world championships and a Commonwealth Games between now and then.
Hopefully there will be some other big racing experience in there for the Neptune swimmer, who will be 20 years old in Paris.
Having established herself among the world’s elite — she is ranked fourth in the world in the 400m freestyle this year — it was a case of taking that next jump.
Finding ways to improve the little things would help her keep chasing down the world’s best.
A review and plan late next month and through September would shape that.
‘‘Once we’re back in Dunedin and post-MIQ, we’ll make sure we’re doing those things really well,’’ he told the Otago Daily Times from Tokyo.
‘‘Things in training can be different to race day because of everything that’s going on.
‘‘It’s getting more experience under our belt. Even from what we’ve learned here it’s making some adjustments, minor adjustments ...
‘‘Being more ready to get out faster and be able to handle that. All those little things that make a difference between going to the semifinal and the final or not quite making it.’’
How easy that experience is to come by could depend on the Covid-19 situation.
Humer had connections around the world and many had indicated he and Fairweather were welcome to train and compete in various places.
However, if that meant MIQ and 14 days out of the water, it was a less enticing prospect.
Whether Fairweather would be a medal prospect at the Paris Games remained to be seen.
‘‘I guess a lot of people would say there’s a good chance,’’ Humer said.
‘‘The reality is we’ve moved on and we’re moving closer to four minutes, if we take the 400m freestyle. But we also know there’s two girls in the world that can go 3min 56sec and 3min 57sec; we’re not there yet.
‘‘There’s also another generation of swimmers coming through, there’s another young swimmer like Erika [Canada’s Summer McIntosh] going 4min 02sec and there’s probably going to be more.
‘‘There’s no doubt I think we’ll be competitive. I think we’ll stick to our plan of always going to meets and perform a PB and increase our world ranking. That’s something we can control and have more control over.’’
Fairweather and Humer leave Tokyo tomorrow and will compete 14 days in MIQ before returning to Dunedin.
