Dunkley splashes into national squad
After three years of long hours in the water, Alex Dunkley has earned his way back into a coveted national junior swim squad.
The 11-year-old topped his age group at the Bay of Islands Classic swim held in Paihia, on March 18. His win in the 200 metres event secured him a place in the national team for the first time since 2014.
The event was the sixth leg of the seven New Zealand Ocean Swim Series meets.
The win means he would attend a weekend-long high performance camp in Auckland in May, to learn from some of the top swimmers and coaches in the country. The Glendene resident was one of the last pieces added to the squad of 36, to be completed after the final meet in April.
No stranger to ocean swimming, Dunkley had competed in both the Capital Classic and Christchurch Crown events this year. He also competed in the Harbour Crossing at just 10-years-old, an event where participants swim across the Auckland Harbour between the Viaduct and Bayswater Marina.
After winning his age group and qualifying for the squad in 2014, Dunkley had been determined to earn his spot back.
He said he was looking forward to learning from the best, developing new techniques and making new friends. His father, Martyn Dunkley, said his son enjoyed the experience in 2014 and took a lot out of it.
‘‘Alex thoroughly enjoyed the experience when he attended a few years back so he was very pleased with himself when he found out he had won,’’ Dunkley said.
‘‘I hope he will put all the new information he learns from this amazing opportunity to good use in his swimming.’’
Scott Rice, New Zealand Ocean Swim Series event director, said over the past five years the swim squad had benefited over 150 young swimmers and their families throughout New Zealand.
‘‘It’s not just for the development of their technical skills, but also the confidence they have gained from being exposed to positive, Olympic-level role models,’’ he said.
The final opportunity for swimmers to secure a place in the squad will be at the upcoming King of the Bays event in Auckland, April 8. For more information or to register, visit www.oceanswim.co.nz.