Swimming Gunnedah is sending its largest squad in 10 years to the NSW Country Championships at Sydney Olympic Park this weekend.
The talented group of 15 swimmers had to meet set qualifying times to compete at the three-day event against the best of the best in country NSW.
“The most impressive thing is the number of swimmers that have qualified and the depth across the age groups which ranges from eight years to 16 years,” head coach Colin Marley said.
“We have swimmers competing in 800m, 400m, 200m, 100m events and the 50m sprints and there is a large percentage swimming more than one event.”
The squad has been putting in long hours in the pool in the lead-up, with close to 60 swimmers now training in the junior and senior sessions several days a week.
“The training squad has increased in size significantly but the skills and ability of the kids have improved out of sight,” Marley said.
“That’s a reflection of the number of kids we have qualifying for Country, but also for local and Area championships.”
The squad’s training intensity and distance levels have also increased, following on from the club’s successful week-long Gold Coast camp in January where the team was swimming between seven and nine kilometres on several days.
“That skill level has also improved and that shows in the fact we’ve got swimmers competing in many distance events,” Marley said.
“If you don’t have a good base, you won’t be able to maintain it.
“There are kids swimming the 100 and 200m butterfly, 200m backstroke and 200m breaststroke.
“You also need to have a reasonably strong technique to maintain that speed, otherwise you burn out.”
The strong numbers have allowed Gunnedah to submit three medley and freestyle relay teams in the 12&U girls and boys and 15&O girls who also had to meet qualifying times.
Gunnedah’s start list is bigger than some of the coastal clubs.
Marley thanked the parents and the committee for their support given the effort and cost it takes to attend such an event.
