Just as long as that fast lane is at Launceston Aquatic Centre and he can relax with a coffee in the adjoining cafe afterwards.

Having taken up a coaching role at the club earlier this year, the 1964 Tokyo Olympic breaststroke specialist was the only Olympian competing in the swimming program as the 2017 Masters Games got underway on Saturday morning.

The Launceston Aquatic coach invested about two months training in the lead-up to the games, which paid off when he won silver in the 100m breaststroke and bronze in the 50m.

“I was thinking when the kids finish swimming (in the mornings) I should go and have a swim myself, so I started doing that and caught up with a few friends from years ago who swim masters and ended up back into it,” Tonkin said of his recent training regime.

“The distance has increased a bit each week and now I’ve plateaued out at about 2km and I just try and improve the quality of it each week now.

“I haven’t swum masters for 11 years so it was my first time back (since then).”

The swimming program will continue on Sunday with Tonkin expecting to again contend for medals in the relay.

But he insisted that there were more important things at stake than winning – namely having fun, being social and setting a good example for his swimming students.  

“I knew I wasn’t going to win because I haven’t done any swimming for years but I had some of my younger squad kids there, so I thought I better not look too bad because I’m always onto them about technique. 

“I thought I better make sure it looks alright if they’re going to be watching me so it was good to have that sort of support.

“They’re good kids so maybe that will get them thinking about swimming (in the Masters Games) in 20 years.”