Rohit Brijnath thinks cliches should be an Olympic event.

In Beijing

THIS afternoon, six Australian swimmers, clad in customary yellow, walked into a gigantic interview room. Every one of them was a world record holder in a different event.

Today, they earned another collectively: a world record in cliches.

Ask them about a specific opponent and they tell us there are no favourites. Ask them about the rivalry with America, and they say their only focus is on themselves and not what other teams are doing. Ask them about how badly they want to win and they insist they concentrate on the process not a medal.

Yawn.

None of it is untrue, but it's all so familiar and dull that it could have put the most interested observer into a coma.

Of course, it's not that the Australians aren't articulate. On the contrary, they speak better than most. But it's almost as if they are media-trained to speak in banal soundbites. Perhaps athletes also get tired of the same dreary questions, perhaps they don't want to flatter a particular opponent by picking them as the main threat, perhaps they don't want to ignite any controversy.

But, as in the most boring of matches, there is always one interesting moment in the most mundane of press conferences. And it came from the Australian team captain, Grant Hackett.

At this Olympics, many events have very strong fields and it's hard to predict a winner. But Hackett, who has won two golds in the 1500m freestyle, made it clear which swimmer would triumph.

"The one who can step up in the pressure of an Olympic Games."

Facing down adversity, he knows too well, is the signature of any champion.