SWIMMERS TO COMPETE IN JAPAN
FIVE of Bond’s top swimmers are preparing to compete in the Japan Open of Swimming.
Bull Sharks Milla Jansen, Layla Day, Joshua Collett, Edward Speller and Mikayla Bird have been named in the Queensland team and are set to depart on November 23.
They were selected based on their strong individual performances over the year at events including the Australian Swimming Championships and the National Age Championships.
Bond Swimming head coach Chris Mooney will accompany the athletes and guide those team members experiencing the rigours of international competition for the first time.
“For some of our swimmers this is their first opportunity to race internationally which is really exciting but it’s also really important for their development moving forward,” he said. “We do a lot of domestic racing but competing against international athletes is a really great opportunity for all of our athletes to progress.”
Mooney said one of the top priorities for his team of dedicated coaches was creating a culture of support and team spirit in the club.
“We really take pride in our team spirit as our point of difference with these athletes and we do our very best to ensure our team is well prepared for benchmark events like this one,” said Mooney. “We’ve assembled a very good team, so it’s nice to see some results as our group has been training very hard and we couldn’t be prouder of them.”
Young talent Layla Day from Bendigo, Victoria joined the Bond Swim team at the beginning of 2022 and the Japan Open will mark the 19year-old’s first event on an international stage.
“Since moving from my hometown at the start of the year, I’ve really enjoyed being a part of the team environment at the Bond Swim club,” said Day. “Being my first international meet, I’m feeling a little nervous in the lead up but I’m also really excited and looking forward to the experience.”
Just four days after the Japan Open the team will be straight back in the pool for the Queensland Championships.