Nicol has more international stops
LETHBRIDGE SWIMMER HAS QUALIFIED FOR WORLD LONG COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS IN HUNGARY IN JULY
As she puts on the laps, Rachel Nicol continues to collect the air miles as well. The Lethbridge swimmer was in Victoria last month at the world trials, competing in the 100-metre breaststroke.
Her time of 1:07.43 wasn’t the Olympian’s fastest time in the event, but still came in under the FINA standard and that, in turn, has landed Nicol on the Canadian National Team that will travel to Budapest for the World Long Course Championships July 14-30.
“It was good,” said Nicol. “It would have been nice to have been a little bit faster. At Olympic trials I was 1:06. But it was under the standard to make the team and that was the goal of the meet. It was nice to do the meet as more of a stepping stone than it was a major focus for the year. Obviously, it’s a big focus, but it was more a matter of qualifying and seeing how I do there and setting things up for the bigger meets in the summer. So that’s more what it felt like this year.
“Last year at Olympics trials it was a really big focus and stressful. It was a nice contrast because it wasn’t quite as stressful. It was just viewed differently for me. I really can’t complain. Of course, as most competitors will say, it’s always nice to be a bit better than you do, which is just the way it is. But it was a solid step towards what I’m looking for in the summer. So it was good.”
Now, there is a bit more travel on the horizon.
“I’ve been to Europe a lot with the team, but not to Hungary before,” said Nicol. “So I’m quite excited for that. My staging is in Italy and I’ve never been there, either. So I’m really looking forward to seeing both those places, for sure.”
It will mark the third consecutive summer that Nicol has taken off for international competition.
“The first one was in 2015 when we went to the Pan Ams and then I went to Russia for the Long Course Worlds,” she said. “Then we had Rio and then the Worlds (in Windsor) last year and now this one. So I’m definitely getting more of the international experience under my belt and it’s becoming more of just another meet to go to than it is all the bells and whistles.
“Of course, it’s nice to be in that kind of atmosphere, so I’m looking forward to that. But it’s all about finding ways to better yourself. So we’re trying some new things this year and trying to better myself from last year. So if I can be around what I was at Rio or even better that would be good.
“This is the second longcourse worlds I’ve been to, so if I can place better than I did two years ago I would be really happy with that.”
In the meantime, a few swim meets and a little more travelling is on the slate for Nicol before she heads overseas.
“I’m off to B.C. at the end of May. Then I’m in Texas for some weddings, so I’m really looking forward to that.
“I’m looking forward to having a few more racing opportunities. We’re just trying some new things out, so it’s good to just try and race as much as I can to nail those things down before I set off.”