Commonwealth Games gold medallist Alex Graham has his sights set on competing in the Olympics, with the hope of winning an event Australia hasn't claimed in 18 years.
The 22-year-old put on his graduation gown and hat on Saturday in honour of completing his sport management degree as part of the Georgina Hope Rinehart Swimming Excellence Scholarship.
Commonwealth Games gold medallist Alex Graham in the pool at Bond University.Credit:Bond University
Graham won a Commonwealth Games gold as part of the mens 4×200-metre freestyle where he led a team including Kyle Chalmers, Mack Horton and fellow Bond University student Elijah Winnington.
Despite the men's team failing to medal in the past two Olympics, Graham said Australia had a good shot at bringing home the gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
“We have a great group of guys doing the 200 metres in Australia at the moment," he said.
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“We have eight to 10 guys who have potential to be on that relay team.
"I feel we have a great chance to push for a gold in 2020."
Graham said he was a very strong swimmer from 14 to 17 years of age, winning age group championships, but found competitive life tougher on the international stage.
“I went to Worlds in 2013 and didnt have a great swim," he said.
"I swam two seconds over my PB and it was the first time I felt like I had failed on the big stage.
"That took its toll on me. It took me two years to find that groove again."
Graham said his training at Bond University with Cam McEvoy was a learning experience for him.
“Cams the fastest 100-metre freestyler ever, so to get in the pool every day with him, pick his brain, even try to beat him in day-to-day training, that really helped," he said.
“It taught me about training and the sacrifices you have to make.
"In hindsight you think about what youve done in the past and, `why didnt I make that Olympic team in 2016? and I can honestly say that I didnt train as hard as I could.
“At the time you think you are training hard and doing the right things, but working with him and the team here showed me how much harder you can train.”
Graham said competing at the Olympics, which was a goal he was determined to achieve, would require a team effort.
"Especially having Elijah (Winnington) in the pool training with me, as long as we are keeping each other honest and pushing each other, I think we have a really good shot," he said.
“To be an Olympian would be huge, especially after missing out in 2016."
Jocelyn Garcia is a journalist at the Brisbane Times, covering breaking news.
