Hard work ahead, says Corbett
PE sensation in push for peak condition ahead of Games
MUCH work still needs to be done for Port Elizabeth star Kaylene Corbett to get into peak condition ahead of the Commonwealth Games later this year, the swimmer said.
Corbett, 18, said it was an honour to be selected for the team that will travel to the 2018 Gold Coast event at Queensland, Australia, in April.
“Going from the Commonwealth Youth Games in 2015 to the senior team in 2018 is something I dreamt about,” she said yesterday.
“It makes me want to work harder and improve, so I can hopefully represent my country at the Olympic Games.”
Adding another feather to her already decorated cap, she competed at the Stellenbosch Grand Prix at the weekend – and was outstanding.
Corbett’s 200m time of two minutes, 28.54 seconds, ensured she became the fastest woman in the province in the 200m breaststroke when she eclipsed the record of 2:28.55, set by retired Port Elizabeth swimming prodigy Jessica Liss at the age of 12.
With that latest triumph, Corbett now holds the records for all three breaststroke disciplines.
“Breaking the EP open record by a mere hundredth of a second meant a lot, as I always looked up to Jessica and was astonished by the amount of talent she possessed,” Corbett said.
Swimming in her speciality breaststroke distances at the weekend’s gala, Corbett put on an excellent performance by coming first in the 50m (33.04), 100m (1:10.03) and 200m (2:28.54) distances. She was named as the woman swimmer of the meeting and collected the most Fina points.
“Those results have made me extremely excited about the future.
“I’ve never been this fast in my life – let alone in February – and knowing that I have improved on the times I put out at trials in December is a great feeling.”
But she said there was still room for improvement on her condition and performances.
Corbett believes her preparations have been going well and she continues to pull out all the stops to be in best possible shape, come April.
“I’d say I am much faster than what both my coach and I expected. I still have a lot of room for improvement.
“I plan to work on my speed a bit more to get faster in the 50m and 100m, while also putting in as many gym sessions as possible to get stronger,” Corbett said.
The Stellenbosch event was a key part of her preparations for the Games, and although she did not intend any personal best times, she is glad to have achieved the feat.
Looking ahead, Corbett does not have any big events planned, apart from the SA Junior Nationals in Durban next month.
“I will use that event to get my body used to racing again,” she said.
“I will just be putting my head down and train as hard as I possibly can.”
Infinity Academy head coach David Glover said the gala’s results were a step in the right direction for Corbett.
“I think her selection to the Commonwealth games team has really motivated her to push even harder, and the results are starting to show in her performances,” Glover said.
He was happy with her preparations and was confident that the Bay star would achieve at least a top eight berth at the April showpiece.