By JARROD POTTER
GLASGOW might have an influx of Casey TigerSharks’ swimmers if results fall their way at this week’s Australian Swimming Championships.
Serving also as Commonwealth Games selection trials, the meet will have six TigerSharks in its midst in the Brisbane-held championships.
TigerSharks’ head coach Ben Hiddlestone said the best chances of his TigerSharks’ troupe come from butterfly/backstroker Mitch Pratt and the 200-metre backstroke showdown featuring Tooradin’s Josh Beaver and London Olympian Matson Lawson.
“We’re optimistic,” Hiddlestone said.
“They do a lot of time in the altitude tents and it’s just a matter of staying confident now.
“I’d be happy if they all swam personal best times – if they did it would put most of them on the team.
“It’s a big deal, but the reality is they have to swim a personal best time
“Same as our 12-year-olds… got to swim the personal best time – just at the level if they do it they will get on the team and even if they swim their bests and don’t make it – that’s the best they can do.”
The return to the water of Beaconsfield’s Holly Brettle – the Victorian record holder for the women’s 400-metre individual medley – has been nothing short of remarkable after breaking her hip last year.
“Holly with broken hip – not expecting great results – but it’s a major achievement for her to get back into the water against the best,” Hiddlestone said.
“If she can make a couple of finals then we know her recovery is really on track.”
The next generation of Australian-standard swimmers will be taken up by Hiddlestone – with 15-year-olds Bowen Gough and Shaun Banzon getting their first taste for national open-age competition.
“We’re taking two young ones up,” Hiddlestone said.
“They’re both 15 so they’re not old enough to compete successful – but they’re old enough to compete and we worked out that if you went only when you were old enough you weren’t prepared for it.
“Going to national open champs and if we’re looking at Rio (Olympic Games) there’s only three opens left until Rio so they’d be missing out on a third of the process.”
The championships will be televised live on ONE-HD each evening from Tuesday 1 April to 6 April from 7.30pm.
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