“I want to get to the end of the free skate and know that I left everything out on the ice,” Brendan said.

“I haven’t skated this program as well as I know I can this season, so I’d like to go out there and push myself to the absolute maximum."

The three-time Olympian is coming into these Games on the back of a tough run with injuries, and has had to actively restrict the intensity of his training to preserve his body.

“It hasn’t been easy to get everything done when I’ve really only been able to do training sessions of about 20 or 30 minutes at a time.

“But the alternative was to not skate at all, so I’m just managing it as best I can.”

After years of dealing with stress fractures in his left leg, Brendan was forced to take almost four months off the ice and even now is uncertain how he’ll hold up.

“It’s always in the back of my mind that I’ve got this vulnerability, but I try to tell myself that everyone has something they’re dealing with and I know that when I’m actually competing the adrenaline will be enough to get me through.”

The free skate is a demanding program that requires a maximum of seven jumps and three spins. Brendan plans to open with a quadruple toe loop.

“At other competitions I’ve played it safe in the free skate and gone for triples when I had quads planned, so I want to execute my elements as we intended.

“But I’ll see how I feel in the warm-up and listen to my body. If I can get to the end of the program and know that was my best on the day, then that’s all I can really ask.”

Brendan is currently sitting in 17th place in a talented field and has the potential to move up the ranks. He’s looking certain to improve on his 29th place at Sochi 2014, and could beat his 20th finish at PyeongChang 2018.

The best result by an Australian figure skater at any Winter Olympics is 10th – a record held by Anthony Liu who competed at Salt Lake 2002.

Katherine Firkin