Olympic gold medallist Rebecca Romero has told triathlete Lucy Hall to relish the pressure of competing in her first Games and show why she has been picked.
The 20-year-old from Lutterworth in Leicestershire was the surprise name in the hotly contested six-strong Olympic team that was named last month.
Hall has made only a handful of appearances at elite senior level and her best World Triathlon Series result over the Olympic distance was 37th in Hamburg last year.
Her selection was certainly controversial but Hall is one of the fastest swimmers in the sport, and her goal will be to help world champion Helen Jenkins in her attempt to win gold in Hyde Park on August 4.
Romero won a rowing silver medal in Athens in 2004 before switching to cycling and winning gold in the individual pursuit in Beijing four years ago. She has since turned to triathlon and was in Loughborough this week for a training session with Hall ahead of her Ironman debut in Bolton on July 22.
Asked for her advice for Hall, Romero said: "It is tough and the intensity and the pressure is heightened because it's a home Olympic Games. My advice would be to accept that isn't going to go away.
"There's going to be nerves and pressure and stress and it's about making sure that you harness it in a positive way. You have to prepare yourself for it. The more times you run through the scenario, the more it becomes automatic, and you've dealt with that.
"In a way the best preparation is to think about the unexpected and, if you've been through it in your head, then you're better equipped to deal with it if it does come along.
"The most important thing is to trust in your ability and the performances you've put in to get you that far. If you've done the work, it shouldn't be scary, it should be the most exciting moment. Now is your time. Use it as an opportunity to show what you can do."
For Hall, meeting Romero was a valuable opportunity to learn from someone who has been there and done it and the 20-year-old said: "It's brilliant to meet an Olympian and a gold medallist as well. She's taken on Ironman and hopefully I can help her out and give her some tips for the swimming and she can tell me about the Olympic experience."