POOLING TALENTS
WORLD AMBITIONS
CURRUMBIN’S Matt Davis will take on the biggest campaign of any competitor at this week’s Lifesaving World Championships as he works towards a shot at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Davis, 22, will feature in all nine pool events at the competition starting today in Adelaide, as well as the beach events and surf rescue event as Australia attempts to overcome champions New Zealand, who have won the past three world titles.
A decision to join Graeme McDonald’s swim squad at Palm Beach Aquatic Centre has paid enormous dividends for Davis who has brought his personal best times for the 100m and 50m freestyle down to 49.7 seconds and 22.78 seconds respectively.
The times put him in the frame to make a push for the Olympics in two years’ time and Davis said his training in the surf had added to his improved pool swimming.
“The move to Graeme was a big decision but it has paid off and so far things could not be better,” Davis said. “I am really looking forward to the next couple of years with my swimming and lifesaving; my times have come down over both the 50 and the 100m freestyle.
“Any change is a huge gamble … you don’t really know if it is the right thing but looking back it needed to happen.
“I am now looking forward to next year’s World Swimming Championship trials and the 2020 Olympic swim trials.
“It will be a juggle at times with getting everything in line and making sacrifices for both lifesaving and swimming but I’m ready.”
This is his 10th Australian team and ninth Open team.