The Australian Dolphins “thrive on expectation … have a lot of strike power and it is exciting” to work with a team that has the buzz of the Thorpe-Hackett-O’Neill era, Rohan Taylor declared 10 days out from the start of racing at the Paris La Defence Arena Olympic pool in the French capital.

The USA was World No1 and the team to beat, he said, but when asked about great expectations for the Games during a media day in Chartres, where the Dolphins are making their final preparations before shifting camp to the Athletes’s Village in Paris about an hour away next week, the Dolphins' lead mentor said his squad had “earned the expectations”. Taylor added:

“These athletes are exceptional trainers, committed and they perform one the world stage … they’ve earned the expectations, I believe. They thrive on that. For me it’s about embracing that and they’ll get up and have a crack, don’t  you worry about that. 

“I’ve been on pretty good teams with Hacketts, and Thorpes and O’Neills… I think it’s the kind of team where you have multiple athletes who could do something special, so I definitely think that comparing ere to era is one thing but what we do have is a lot of strike power and it's exciting.”

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