Stars confident leading into trials

Australia’s stars of the pool are confident that they will perform well leading into this week’s Commonwealth Games Swimming Trials at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.

MSAC will host a cavalcade of stars of the pool, including Matt Welsh, Michael Klim, Jessicah Schipper and Ian Thorpe, who makes his return to national competition.

Australian Coach, Allan Thompson, is confident that the swimmers selected from this meet to compete at the Commonwealth Games will be an almost certain chance to medal.

“A lot of fast racing will hopefully see three swimmers selected for each event at the Commonwealth Games.”

Giaan Rooney, who has claimed eight National long course titles, including three consecutive in the 50 metre backstroke is looking forward to these trials and believes having a reduced training regime will aid her well.

“Having a less amount of work has been good for me and I’ll be focussing on the 50 metre back (stroke).”

Golden girl from last year’s World Championships, Schipper, is aiming for some personal best times prior to the Commonwealth Games at this meet.

“I’m aiming for some PB’s this week and I’ll see how I go.”

Australia’s best performed backstroker of recent years, Welsh, has had an extended preparation for the trials is confident that a great training work load will lead to good personal performances at this meet.

“Preparation for me has been really good and it will be a good test because there is such a high level of competition”.

Welsh, who was joined at this morning’s press conference by his Melbourne Vicentre club mates Brett Hawke and Rooney, believes the swimmers from his club will make a good impression at this meet.

“The Vicentre squad has been training really well prior to this meet.”

Among the swimmers from the club competing at this meet is promising Victorian junior representative, Emma Neely and Rooney rates the young Sunbury resident’s prospects not just at this meet, but in the future heading towards the Beijing Olympics.

“She’ll do well and she’s very talented, there’s a lot of junior talent training with the senior squad at the moment.”

When asked whether Neely has a chance to qualify for any events at the Commonwealth Games, Rooney suggests that Beijing is a more realistic prospect.

“She’s a long shot, but she’s a good prospect for the future.”

These trials will also see swimmers with a disability (SWD) attempt to qualify for the EAD (Elite Athletes with a Disability) category at the Commonwealth Games, which will see medals won by these athletes contributing towards the respective nation’s medal tally.

The trials commence tomorrow and will be televised nationally by the Nine Network as well as Fox Sports.

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