ABU DHABI, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- The swimmer from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Obaid Al Jasmi is eager to set a new national record for the 100m freestyle at the upcoming 29th Olympic Games to be held in the Chinese capital of Beijing, local newspaper Gulf News reported on Wednesday.

    "Swimming comes first to me. It is in my blood, and as I leave Iam thinking so much of setting a new UAE record in Beijing," Jasmi said in an interview with Gulf News.

    Jasmi, who will leave for Beijing on Wednesday, is the UAE record holder in 100m freestyle with 53.7 seconds.

    "The good news is that each time I swam I came very close to the national best time. And that gives me a lot of confidence as I leave for Beijing," Jasmi said.

    "The idea is to concentrate on my race. I will swim the first 50meters under 25 seconds and then try and cover the last 50 meters under 27 seconds," he added.

    The trip to Beijing will be Jasmi's second appearance at the Olympic Games, who attended the Athens Olympics in 2004 and swam a 54.1 seconds in the 100m freestyle.

    "I was nervous going to my first ever Olympic Games. Since then I have swam in two FINA World Championships, Melbourne and Manchester, and I am much more experienced in handling the pressure, both in and out of the water," he said.

    "The experience that one derives from merely participating in international competitions is immense, and I think I am a much better swimmer than what I was four years back," he added.

    The UAE will send a team of eight athletes to the Beijing Olympics, which is the largest delegation sent by the Gulf country to the Olympic Games.

    Among the eight athletes, the most promising gold medal winner is Sheikh Ahmed Mohammed Hasher Al Maktoum, who won the UAE's only Olympic gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics in men's double trap.

    Seven other athletes will play for the UAE in the sports of shooting, taekwondo, equestrian, judo, sailing, swimming and athletics.