DIVING into the pool to race against the future Australian Dolphin team was part of the excitement for the 13 SGB swimmers at the Australian Age Championships.
The event was held in the Chandler Swimming Pool in Brisbane over the past nine days. Every swimmer competing has met the tough qualifying standards, and the SGB swimmers held their own against the best in Australia, watching as records fell, new champions emerged, and their teammates gave their all.
It has been a long, tough season this year for the SGB swimmers, with several major weekend-long meets in the lead-up to Nationals being hard work in the heat, but this did not faze the competitors, who were cheered on by family from the stands.
The weather made it challenging at times, with big storms, the outdoor warm-up pool closed due to lightning strikes on some days and everyone crowding into the indoor warm-up pools.
The competition started with the multi-class racing, with SGB being represented by three competitors: first timers Levi Jarrett and Georgia Perry, and returning swimmer Gemma Cook. Gemma was excited to have fellow teammates with her down on the pool deck this year.
The trio were thrilled with their results, all making finals, as was their coach, Lorri.
“To have a whole team of MC swimmers on the pool deck was so exciting. We had other members of the squad who are swimming next week up in the stands cheering them on. I felt so proud of our club and what we have been able to achieve,” Lori said.
“With changes to the records, breaking them into age groups meant they had even more to aim for, and Levi and Gemma were excited to now be Victorian record holders.”
Levi now holds the Victorian 12-year-old boys s19 50m Backstroke and Freestyle records, and Gemma the 13-year-old girls s6 100m and 200m Freestyle records.
Gemma Cook:
50m back 12- 13yrs - 20th
200m Freestyle 12-13yrs - 10th
100m free, equal 12th
50m Freestyle 12-13yrs, A final - 3rd place
200 IM 12-13yrs - 14th
Levi Jarrett:
50m Backstroke 12-13yrs -A Final - 9th
50m Freestyle 12-13yrs - 17th
Georgia Perry:
100m Freestyle 12- 13yrs - 17th
50m Freestyle 12-13yrs - 19th swam in B Final
Inspired by the multi-class crew, the able-bodied swimmers took to the pool to give their best.
At this level, the difference between 30th and 60th can be 0.5 of a second, but the swimmers gave their all and had some pleasing results. The tough conditions were felt by all swimmers competing at the meet, but the SGB swimmers, all hoping to be returning next year to compete again, have learned a lot about racing at the top level and will return with more experience under their belts. The experience gained by racing at such a high level of competition, though daunting at times, will be invaluable.
Coach Dylan was pleased with their efforts.
“They have trained hard, and to be here, racing against the best of Australia is their reward. It’s tough for them, with the facilities we have to train in compared to some of the other clubs here, which is what makes their efforts even more amazing,” Dylan said.
“There have been some tough swims, and the weather has made it hard, but they have held their heads high and done the best they can, and that is all we can ask of them. There is some stiff competition out there, but they have given it a red-hot go. We had a couple of swimmers make finals and a couple that only just missed out.”
The event, broadcast on 9now, was keenly watched by friends, family and the rest of SGB, as they cheered the swimmers on from afar.
Claudia Croatto, 16yr, 50m Breaststroke 39th, 100m Breaststroke 28th, 200m Breaststroke 27th, 50m Freestyle 68th
Billy Fisher, 15yr, 50m Breaststroke 65th, 100m Breaststroke 66th
Maggie Fisher, 13yr, 100m 76th Backstroke
Cormac Flynn, 15yr, 50m Breaststroke 52nd, 100m Breaststroke 54th, 200m Breaststroke 39th,
Izzy Lynch, 13 yr, 50m Breaststroke 31st, 100m Breaststroke 60th
Mostyn Lumsden, 17 yr, 50m Butterfly 32nd
Rahni Matheson, 16yr, 50m Breaststroke 10th, 100m Breaststroke 23rd, 50m Freestyle 61st
Miah Roberts, 15yr, 50m Backstroke 17th, 100m Backstroke 16th, B final competitor, 200m Backstroke 21st
Jarrah Tagell, 15yr, 400IM 35th
Zac Sherar, 16yr, 100m Freestyle 65th, 200m Freestyle 47th, 400m Freestyle 26th and 100m Breaststroke 46th
The swimmers will now have a few weeks’ break before the winter Short Course season of racing starts.
