Tobruk deal makes a splash for Far North
THE Para Pan Pacific Championships won’t be the last the city sees of Olympic-level swimmers.
Australian Paralympic Swim Team leader Adam Pine said the Tobruk Memorial Pool was the perfect venue for Australia’s first time hosting the Para Pan Pacs.
“There’s been a great focus on racing and the weather has been sensational, especially for winter,” he said. “The Australian team has had a good medal tally and 36 per cent of the team has beaten personal bests.”
The Australian Olympic and Paralympic swim teams will return to the pool next year to train in the lead-up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
A three-year deal was made earlier in the year between Cairns Regional Council and Swimming Australia to use the pool for six training camps in the lead-up to the games.
Mr Pine said the decision to upgrade the facility in 2016, bringing the two main pools up to Olympic-level size and standard, was a smart move.
“This is the first year of the deal but we’ve used the facility a number of times since the upgrade and it’s like a second home for the team now,” he said.
“It’s only a two-hour flight from Brisbane where much of the team is based, which is conducive to hard training.
“Climate is a big factor as well. When you have athletes in the water, morning and night, training in this environment makes them less susceptible to illness.”
Tourism Tropical North Queensland chief executive Pip Close said Cairns’ reputation for hosting international sporting events was further boosted by the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships.
“The excellent facilities at Tobruk Memorial Pool will be showcased in international media coverage as will footage of the region’s spectacular World Heritage areas,” she said. “Last month the Australian Dolphins swim team visited the Great Barrier Reef while they were here training and they have shared that experience across their popular social media channels.”
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