Gichard backs herself to make the grade
BOBBI GICHARD will travel more than 55,000 kilometres in August, but a 50-metre stretch of water is the only thing on her mind.
The 15-year-old swimmer arrived back in the country this week after competing at her first senior world swimming championships in Kazan, Russia.
She finished in the top 30 in the 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke, but earned a personal best in the 200m and was not far off PBs in her other two events.
She admitted to being ‘‘pretty tired’’ after arriving back in the country but said the experience of being in the elite environment would prove invaluable in years to come.
‘‘It was such a good experience, to be an Aqua Black and watching all the Olympians racing was incredible.
‘‘I’ve learned that I have a lot to practise and improve on, for example, [my competition’s] underwater is amazing, so that’s something I’ve brought back to practise.’’
She is about one second away from qualifying for Rio in the 100m backstroke, something which would take all her focus for the next 12 months.
‘‘With all the practice and what I’ve learned in Kazan, I hope that’s enough. If not, there’s always 2020 and worlds in 2017.’’
There was only a brief respite from training on her return to New Zealand. With the world junior championships in Singapore starting on August 25, she needs to keep her fitness up if she wants to add another medal to the bronze she won in the 100m backstroke at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games.
She hasn’t been able to return to her hometown of Napier, instead staying on to train with her junior New Zealand teammates in Auckland.
Staying in Auckland has given her the chance to cheer on her friend and 15-year-old backstroke rival, Gabrielle Fa’amausili, at the New Zealand short course championships.
Fa’amausili holds the a world 50m backstroke junior record, as well as the New Zealand senior record, while Gichard holds all the junior 100m backstroke New Zealand records from under-12 to under-15.
Gichard only just edged out Fa’amausili in the 100m backstroke at nationals last year to earn her spot in the New Zealand team for the senior world championships.
Gichard said Fa’amausili was the quicker of the pair, while she had more endurance, which led to some close 100m races.
‘‘I’m really good friends with her, I’m so happy about how fast she’s going at short course nationals.
‘‘With the 100m, we always share it, sometimes it’s me,
Bobbi Gichard sometimes it’s her.
‘‘It’s cool to go to competitions with one of your good friends, but who’s also your competitor, there’s always that bond and we’re going next week to Singapore, which will be such a cool thing to do and experience with her.
Gichard said she has known since the age of 12, when she set her first New Zealand record, that she was destined to be a top-level swimmer, but it hasn’t always been that way.
‘‘I started competing when I was eight, but I was a pretty slow swimmer, I used to bounce off the bottom of the pool and not think about what I was trying to do.’’
Throughout her career she has idolised American Olympian and heart-throb Ryan Lochte, and realised a dream when she met him in Kazan.
‘‘I got a photo with him, so I was really happy with that. I was so star-struck, watching him underwater was incredible.’’
If everything goes according to Gichard’s plan, one day it might be her posing for photographs with star-struck teen swimmers.