Hurst finds right formula for London

Seven-time Ironman champion Ky Hurst says his arduous campaign of races in the surf lifesaving series is the ideal complement to preparations for his ultimate goal – Olympic gold in London.

After his disqualification from the Newcastle round of the series, Hurst hopes to make amends in the fourth round in Perth and wants to finish the series on a high note.

But he has bigger fish to fry - victory in the 10km open water swim at the Olympic Games.

"It's always in my mind, it doesn't leave my mind. I wake up every morning thinking of London," he told BigPond Sports Weekend.

Hurst took a three-year break from his successful surf lifesaving career in 2005 to focus solely on preparing for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. It paid off, with Hurst earning a top-five finish in the FINA open water world championships and securing his berth in the Olympic team.

In the lead-up to his second Games, the 30-year-old has chosen to incorporate both his sporting loves into his training schedule and it's a decision he says has paid off to date.

"I believe it's the perfect stepping stone towards London ... It just keeps me a little bit bigger and I think it helps me as far as the surf skills go," Hurst said.

"It's extra racing that I definitely need and I think it's the right thing, the right formula."

Once the Ironman series finishes, the surf lifesaving Hall of Famer will return to the pool for another 21 weeks of training leading up to the Olympics.

As to whether he can better his 11th place in Beijing and take home the ultimate prize from London, Hurst knows the job is in front of him, but remains completely focused.

'It's definitely a hard one ... [but] I live and breathe this. This is my life and this is my career," he said.

"So to be able to go to my last Olympic Games - and London is my last Olympic Games - and walk away with a gold medal would certainly be a fairytale career."