3-time Olympian and Beijing Olympic bronze medallist Robin Bell attended the Oceania Championships at Penrith Whitewater Stadium in March earlier this year, and took some time aside to speak with Sportscene.

Four years earlier Bell was vying with London bound paddler Kynan Maley for the coveted men’s C1 Olympic spot on the same course, this time he was no longer a rival but a supporter, cheering on his fellow Western Australian who fought hard and ultimately won the right to compete at his first Olympic Games in 2012.

For Bell being back at Selection was a sense of Déjà vu, and the 34 year old enjoyed the excitement that comes with Olympic nomination.

“It is good to watch, it is exciting isn’t it. There is only one spot and it kind of adds to the level of excitement, so it makes selection a really good viewing.”

With a wealth of international racing experience under his belt, Bell has been in regular contact with Maley and New Zealand kayaker Mike Dawson assisting where he can, but said it is great to get an opportunity to come watch them compete and offer his assistance where he can.

“It is hard turning up to one event and giving out some advice so I’ve have been chatting to those guys on the phone a little bit and if they have some questions I am quite happy to answer them. It is difficult when you have got a new life to get down here and be available for coaching and things, so it is good to see those guys are doing well.”

Australia will take a team of four to London this year, Warwick Draper (K1), Kynan Maley (C1/C2), Robin Jeffery (C2) and Jessica Fox (K1). At just 17 years of age, Fox is an exciting young talent and really caught Bell’s eye with an impressive display at the Oceania Championships winning silver in the women’s K1 event.

“Jessica Fox has taken it to the top girls in the world, you have got the reigning Olympic champion, reigning world champion, and in the last two weeks she has beaten them both, and she is on an improvement curve as well in consistency and also building up strength for herself, so by the time the Olympics comes I’m sure she has the ability to mix it up there which will be great.”

Since Bell’s retirement from the sport in 2008, the sport of canoe slalom has evolved with the introduction of women’s C1 at World Cup and World Championship competition, as women seek gender equality in what is predominantly a male dominated sport.

Bell believes it is a step in the right direction, “We have got to get more gender equality and I don’t know whether that means instead of C2 you make it mixed C2, I don’t really know.”

“How do you do that? You can’t just throw more people in ladies kayak because you need more medals for the girls so C1 seems to be the natural answer.”

Women’s C1 was recently announced as making its debut at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games, but Bell is unsure whether the category has enough depth to be considered at an Olympic level with Rio de Janeiro just four year away.

“I’m not sure if it is going to be in Rio but you’re looking at the next Olympics and then the next Olympics after that, so hopefully they have got a competitive class so that it will get into the Games and at the moment I suppose it has still got a fair way to go.”

As Australia’s Olympic athletes start to fine tune their approach leading into London, Bell believes the two key aspects to achieving success at Olympic level are to treat it like a job, give it your all and leave with no regrets.

“There is no point going round and looking at the fancy lights and everything like that, at the end of the day you are there to do a job. The Olympics you will always remember, you will never forget what you do, and if you walk away from the field at the Olympics thinking I didn’t give it my all or I didn’t do something, you will always regret it for the rest of your life.”

Bell also pointed out the importance of mental preparation.

“There is a misconception that you have got to do something that is special at the Olympics, you don’t. You can look at Jacqui Lawrence as a prime example of that, I mean she probably paddled as well as she could in terms of potential, but the rest of the field really tried to push hard and they ended up falling over and Jacqui Lawrence was suddenly near the front.”

Australia’s quartet of slalom paddlers will be looking to follow in the footsteps of Lawrence and Bell and create their own piece of history at Olympic Level.

The first of three ICF World Cups prior to London begins this Friday in Cardiff, Wales.