Team GB swimmer Tom Dean left his debut Olympic Games in Tokyo with two gold medals around his neck, and he said this summer's Games in Paris will bring even more pressure even though he will not get a chance to defend his individual title.
Dean is one of the poster boys of Team GB heading into this summer's Olympics, however he will not defend his 200m freestyle title after coming third behind Matt Richards and Duncan Scott in both the 100m and 200m freestyle finals at the British swimming trials in April.
It is a mark of the talent in the Team GB swimming squad, with Richards the reigning world champion in the event and Scott having finished second behind Dean in Tokyo. However, it left Dean's public ambition of winning a record-breaking five medals in tatters.
In Paris, he will be racing in only one individual event -- the 200m medley -- as well as two relays.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with ESPN, Dean said he doesn't have any firm medal targets in mind anymore. Instead, he will be focusing on the process.
"I think Aquatics GB have their own targets. My coach will have his own targets. I'm very much process-driven. For me, it's about the race I want to execute, and I focus on that. The outcomes follow the processes," he said.
"Look, I want to defend the 4 x 200m title with those other three lads like we did in Tokyo. Obviously, I want to win medals in individual races and try and get on the podium for that 4 x 100m relay, which we've never done before. All of these are targets, but without being process-driven they won't come, inevitably.
"I never set targets, I never set five targets. I know what I want to do. I know what I want to do -- I want to go and bring silverware whenever I go to any major competition -- but it's more like: 'I want to execute this kind of race on this event and I know that this is what I need to do.' Then, off the back of that, medals will hopefully follow."
Dean, who will be wearing Speedo's Fastskin racesuit in Paris, admitted there was added pressure following his debut success in Tokyo, but he added that his experience since then should come to his aid.
"Every time I've raced since Tokyo there's been an expectation to bring in medals, not just relay medals," he said. "The pressure is always there, and it never gets any easier to win medals on the world stage, that never changes.
"You still have to be performing as the top three in the world. It's not an easy feat, and without a doubt there's definitely more pressure.
"But like I said, that's what the three years of racing has helped me to learn is how to deal with that, and actually to an extent I don't really care what anyone else thinks. You have to have that mindset.
"I know there's that expectation to bring home medals because of what I've done in the past. But actually, if I flip it on its head, I know I can bring home medals because I have done it in the past. But like I said, it gets any easier year-on-year."