Amelia is the latest Ards starlet to sparkle
TOP coach Davy Johnston believes the impact of High Performance chief Jon Rudd on Irish swimming is having a positive effect on his Ards swimmers who were to the fore in the Ulster Short Course Championships.
Half of the junior and senior titles at the weekend were bagged by Ards and it is clear they have a core of young athletes who are on course to push for senior international honours.
Four Ards swimmers represented Ireland at the European Junior Championships in the summer — Rebecca Reid, Amelia Kane, Victoria Catterson and Davy’s son Paddy, all of whom were on song at Lisburn’s Lagan Valley Leisureplex which will also host next month’s Irish Short Course Championships.
Kane, just 15, looks a very promising prospect having picked up four titles at the weekend — the 200m backstroke, 200m butterfly, 400m individual medley and 1,500m freestyle — while she was also part of the team which set a new Irish junior record for the 200m IM relay, 1:58.95.
Most significantly for the Strathearn student was her new Ulster junior record in the 200m backstroke, breaking the time of Commonwealth Games athlete Danielle Hill with a new best of 2:14.00.
“Amelia is as dedicated a swimmer as I have ever coached. She puts in a lot of hard work and is seeing the results. She is making very good progress and obviously at just 15 there is a lot of development still to come,” said coach Johnson.
“The club overall is doing very well and we have a lot of very dedicated athletes. As I often say, ‘If you’re not at training I can’t coach you’ and it’s no coincidence that those who rarely miss a session are seeing the best results and it’s admirable to see how well these young swimmers can manage their time so their academic studies do not suffer — in fact, some of them are exceptional at school.”
Davy’s son Paddy (17) landed three titles at the weekend with his most eye-catching performance coming in the 200m butterfly when he set a new Ulster junior record of 2:03.65 — breaking the previous best of James Brown.
The Championships were also noteworthy for the Irish senior record set by Ballyshannon’s Mona McSharry in the 100m individual medley, 1:00.66.
As for Ards, Johnston insists he is continually seeking to raise the bar.
“Since Jon Rudd and Ben Higson came in at the top of Irish swimming, the big difference I have seen is the emphasis on what swimmers are doing away from the pool. There is a greater importance on diet, psychology and strength and conditioning,” said Johnston. “These elements are really helping our swimmers to improve.”