POOL COUP
THE Gold Coast will get a double dose of Australia’s top swimmers next year after Swimming Australia announced it would hold the Commonwealth Games trials in the city five weeks ahead of the main event.
In a boon for fans who missed out on tickets to the Games swimming finals, Australia’s best will be in action at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre from February 28-March 3 where they will attempt to make the national team.
It’s the first of what’s likely to be a host of similar announcements as teams and athletes use the Games venues to hone their preparations for what will be the biggest event on the sporting calendar for Australian competitors next year.
The event will be a test of Swimming Australia’s new trials format, a move to hold the event much closer to major championships than has traditionally been the case in a key shift following a post-Rio Olympics review.
Swimming Australia chief executive Mark Anderson said the Gold Coast trials would be the “biggest domestic event on our calendar over (the next) four years”.
“This is the first time in this (Olympic) cycle we’ll be trialling five weeks out from the pinnacle event,” Anderson said.
“It’s an exciting opportunity for our competitors and it’s an exciting opportunity for our coaches as well.”
Swimmers often talk about the pressure of trials being greater than that at an international meet and having the chance to have a dress rehearsal at the Games venue cannot be underestimated.
“All of them are getting excited about the chance to strut their stuff in the pool here in front of families and friends for that elusive and pinnacle moment of being selected into a Commonwealth Games home team,” Anderson said.
“With the Commonwealth Games swimming being sold out, the trials here provide a superb opportunity for family, friends, sports fans and swimming fans to get along and support the Dolphins.”
Gold Coast swimmers James Roberts and Monique Murphy said they were looking forward to competing on the Coast.
“I’m born and bred on the Gold Coast so I’m really looking forward to the opportunity of racing in front of a home crowd and hopefully a packed stadium here,” Roberts said.
“It’s a great opportunity for people who may have unfortunately missed tickets to the Commonwealth Games to come and fill the stands and support the home team.”
Murphy, who won silver at the Paralympics last year before relocating to the Gold Coast to train with Glenn Baker, is also relishing the thought of competing in front of family next year.
“My family live in Brisbane and they’re extremely excited to be able to watch me swim here,” she said.
“The support I’ve received in the community having lived here for just a little time is exciting and humbling, so it would mean a lot compete here.”
Australian Commonwealth Games Association boss Craig Phillips said the swimmers would be the final athletes chosen for Australia’s expected 470-member team, the biggest ever sent to a Commonwealth Games.
“It’s very important we have our swim team in peak performance when the trials are held and clearly the move toward having trials held just five weeks before the Commonwealth Games themselves we see as a very important way of supporting our swimmers,” Phillips said.
IT’S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE WHO MAY HAVE UNFORTUNATELY MISSED TICKETS TO THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES TO COME AND FILL THE STANDS. SWIMMER JAMES ROBERTS