Olympic 100-metre freestyle champion Nathan Adrian✓ says he has respect for dual world champion James Magnussen, but no fear.
Adrian and Magnussen will spearhead the most anticipated race at the Pan Pacific Championships due to start on the Gold Coast, with the pair set to meet in the 100-metre freestyle on Friday.
Magnussen has toned down his public declarations since his infamous "brace yourself" boast to Olympic rivals in 2012.
But he has not been able to resist taking the occasional shot at Adrian and 2013 world championship silver medalist Jimmy Feigen, declaring at the pre-Commonwealth Games camp in Manchester last month that he wanted to show the Americans just who were the best two-lap freestylers in the world. However, he has since revealed that he has been battling significant back problems this year, which has affected his training.
Adrian said rivalry talk had little affect on him. He said while he respected Magnussen, he was "certainly not scared. That's just silly".
‘"No one belongs on the world stage if they’re going to be scared. It's just exciting to be able to race. It's not about who's done what, it's about a childish desire to get in the water and race.
"It's fun. That's why I do it. If it wasn't fun I certainly could be doing something else and earning a better living, so at this point I just want to get in and race and see what I can do and see what my teammates can do and see what everyone else can do.
"It's as simple as that, and honestly, to try and make more of that, for me doesn't have a ton of substance."
However, he said Magnussen was "certainly capable of doing some incredible things".
"He's shown that in the past. He's a great competitor and he's gotten his hands on the gold medal at the last two world championships, so he's not to be messed with.
"I don't think we've been able to spend enough time together to be great friends, or even enemies, if you want to think of it that way. I just look at him as another competitor."
Adrian also said Australian national champion Cameron McEvoy, who won silver behind Magnussen at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, would be a future world force.
"He's a fantastic swimmer and I don't think there's any reason why you should doubt the kid," Adrian said. "He's been an up-and-comer for a while and he's at the age where he can certainly have some pretty big breakthroughs, and I think the nationals was one for him.
"I like him and I think he's going to be a force on the interntional scene in the 100 freestyle for quite a while."
Meanwhile, the Americans are sweating on the fitness of superstar Missy Franklin, who has suffered back spasms.The six-time world titles gold medallist had to be assisted from the training pool on Tuesday night and did not attend a press conference on Wednesday.
