Local swimmers heat up the pool in Ballarat

IT WAS a cold, early start in the mornings up in Ballarat, but that did not phase the South Gippsland Bass (SGB) swimmers, many of whom have waited over two years to get back into the pool for the Victorian Short Country Championships. 

SGB fielded a team of 44 swimmers, who achieved qualifying times to compete, making SGB the fourth biggest team at the meet. 

Swimmers ranged from 9-year-olds in the under 11s to the open section. 

SGB featured regularly on the podium on both days, with a number of swimmers medalling including two relay teams who both finished with second place medals.  

Racing against other fast swimmers provided a challenge for the SGB swimmers, who all stood up to the challenge taking time off their personal bests and getting times under their current goal with several gaining a state time, which qualifies them to enter the State Age competition the next of couple of weekends at MSAC.

Coach Dylan, who also was among the competitors, spoke to the swimmers at the team meeting Sunday morning about how well they have bounced back from disappointments. 

“In swimming as an individual sport, there’s no team effort to hide behind, it’s up there on the screen in black and white your result, it makes it hard, but the ability of so many of you to bounce back yesterday was fantastic,” he said. 

“We have come and really pushed ourselves and are sitting up there close to the big clubs on the leadership table.”

One of the team highlights for many was the duel in the pool between coaches Dylan and Caiden in neighbouring lanes in the 50m breaststroke, with Caiden taking out the honours. 

For the experienced swimmers, the meet was a chance to practice against some close competition, before the State Short Course Championships and the School sport Australia Championships in Queensland in the coming weeks.