As Budapest beckons, British Olympic swimmer and UK F-Teamer Max Litchfield, has his eyes on the gold medal prize.

The City of Sheffield swimmer secured his seat on the plane to the FINA World Championships in Hungary after a phenomenal performance at the 2017 British Swimming Champs where he won the medley double.

His 400m Individual Medley time of 4:10.63 was a new personal best, a British record and one second faster than the time he swam in the 2016 Olympics final. This time has Max ranked fifth as we head into the biggest international meet on the 2017 calendar.

In the build-up between the British Championships and Budapest, Max is focusing on the one percenters as he knows that's what will make the difference on race day. He believes an accumulation of lots of small improvements will help him make overall gains to get him into the best position possible.

The last two years have seen Max's personal training programme adapt to prepare him for the Olympics and now the Worlds.

"I would say the biggest thing that has changed has been my understanding of my body, knowing my limits and how far I can push myself," he says.

At every stage of his swimming journey Max has been incredibly focused so his mentality has not altered.

"I have always been driven and motivated to achieve and like to be organized at all times. I just feel keeping my mind-set as it has been has allowed me to progress in the pool and in the gym," he says.

Competing at such a high level impacts significantly on his daily routine and lifestyle. He has prioritised swimming which has resulted in awesome results and TeamGB selection.

"Swimming always comes first and over the years I have had to make some huge sacrifices in order to get the most out of my swimming. With university as well, sometimes swimming has to come first even in important times of the semester. The pool and your goals need to be your main focus and personal life and studies can often get in the way," Max explains.

The 22-year old swimmer is strong in all events, but the 400m Individual Medley provides the most potential for podium success.

"I have always competed in the 400m IM but it was not always my main event. When I was younger I was a butterfly swimmer and then a backstroker before the medley really started to click. I think that should be the case with all swimmers though: have a great base in all four strokes and specialise when you are old enough to know what you are best at, around 18-20."

Max's ultimate goal for the World Championships this year is simple:

"In Budapest I am hoping to go at least one better than last year and win a medal," he surmises.

We're wishing this medley champion the very best as he continues to prepare for Budapest and we'll be cheering him on!

Keep up to date with our Funky Trunks F-Teamers by following us below: