5 mins with sharpshooting Jayco Opal Belinda Snell

She is regarded as one of the best shooters in the Australian game and heading to her third Olympics in London, Belinda Snell and her textbook jumper will play a key role in the Jayco Opals medal chances. Basketball Australia caught up with the Sydney Uni Flames gunner recently.

You had an interesting training camp before heading off to Europe with the Jayco Opals squad, falling sick one day in. Tell us a bit about what happened?

Belinda Snell: I got through the first three sessions feeling good, went to physio and had a massage at night after that, things went downhill unfortunately. I think I was just a bit run down, unfortunately I spent the whole night in pain.

I had pretty bad tonsillitis and had to spend the next night in quarantine over at the AIS Medical Centre and then I was sent home the following day to rest and recover from the severe tonsillitis I had. It was horrible.

Is there anything you have to do differently because you were sick going into Europe? Is there anything you have to be careful of, are they sort of keeping you covered?

BS: Yeah, I just have to not over-do it coming back. I was easing my way back. First I started with a 30-minute session, easing my way back and I was able to get through whole sessions in Europe.

How was camp? How were the girls coming together from what you could see?

BS: Camp went really well. In the games against the AIS boys, Kristi (Harrower) and Suzy (Batkovic) really stood out in those games, they did fantastically.

The young girls coming through did really well which definitely made for some tough decisions for Grafy (Head Coach Carrie Graf).

You’ve been to two Olympic Games how is the third one different to the others?

BS: I’m more of an oldie on the team, so it’s a lot different. I’m just trying to help the young girls in preparation for their first Olympics and letting them know some of my past experiences from past Olympics and what the do’s and things not to do in the Village.

Playing in the WNBL you had a fantastic season, earning another WNBL All Star Five honour as well as helping the Sydney Uni Flames to the WNBL Finals? Was it a good decision to return home?

BS: I’ve really enjoyed playing back in Australia and playing with the Sydney University Flames, it was great to be back and enjoy my basketball again.

Just playing with great friends in Sydney, Alicia Poto and Lauren King, it was great being able to play with them and really enjoyable and a lot of fun being back for an Australian summer.

Talk to me a bit about what it’s like to play for your country in the Olympic Games. What it’s like to wear the Opals uniform?

BS: It’s a huge honour. I still remember the first time I ran out in Athens for my first game at the Olympics; the whole emotion and running out and representing your Country for the first time in an Olympics.

I remember Men at Work song “I come from the land down under” was playing as we ran out to the court. That whole warm up was pretty much a blur to me, I was so emotional.

It’s a huge honour and it’s something you remember for the rest of your life.