Once you’ve committed to a full taper, at the end of that taper, a coach should have nothing left to do.

Except important things like drying socks.

At the Commonwealth Games in 2002, the day of the final in 50m freestyle, a deluge of rain hit Manchester. Travelling together in a bus, our team got dropped near the front doors. The grand entrance to the pool stadium. It now had big puddles on a long promenade. So with the downpour, everyone ran for the doors through puddles, holding jackets or bags over their heads.

Everyone was sloshing around in wet shoes going into an important event. My swimmer said her socks were wet. So my super hero mode kicked in; I would dry the socks and shoes.

My only job that night, as the professional coach that night, while she did her prescribed warm up, the same one we always did, was drying socks.

I took her shoes too, and while she swam her warm-up, i warmed up her shoes and socks. I located the hand dryers by the basins in the toilets and blow dried them toasty warm. It’s quite funny drying socks because the fill up just like airport wind socks. I recommend it.

I got them toasty, and so, in the run up to the race, including the ready room, she had warm feet and no body else did.

She won by a body length. In 50 freestyle. True story.