Swimming Australia has nominated three athletes to take on the 10km open water event at the 2017 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, adding to the three that were already selected for the 5km event at the Australian Open Water Championships in January this year.
Following on from their successful performances at the Abu Dhabi FINA World Cup earlier this month, Chelsea Gubecka, Kareena Lee and new comer Jack Brazier will now join Jarrod Poort (5km), Jack McLoughlin (5km) and Kiah Melverton (5km) on the Australian Dolphins Swim Team for the open water events.
In Abu Dhabi Gubecka (1:52.37.30) was the best placed of all the Aussies, coming in fifth in the women’s 10km event, followed closely by teammate Lee (1:53.11.30) in 11th spot.
After making her debut in Barcelona at the age of 14, this will be Gubecka’s third world championship team and the talented teenager continues to work her way up the international ranks.
Lee will now take on the 5km and 10km double in Budapest after successfully qualifying for both.
In the men’s event, rising star Brazier was the best placed Australian, finishing 12th in a time of 1:46.06.70 with fellow Aussie, Poort, failing to fire finishing 28th overall in a time of 1:46.21.20.
Brazier will now make his senior team debut in Budapest whilst Poort will still get the chance to don the green and gold as he was selected in the 5km event at the national championships at Brighton Beach, Adelaide in January.
Swimming Australia Open Water Head Coach Ron McKeon said he was excited to see what results the young team could produce on the international stage.
“It’s great to see so many new faces make up our open water team,” McKeon said.
“Swimming Australia’s Open Water swimming program has implemented a high performance standard early on in the Olympic cycle that will need to be continually met, and I have no doubt that this will help prepare our athletes for the 2019 world championships that doubles as the first qualifier for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
“Australia has a proud history in distance swimming in both pool and open water and it’s swimmers and coaches have continually risen to the occasion meeting and exceeding challenging benchmarks – it’s in our nature.
“We are now putting our hand on our heart and saying as an Open Water swimming cohort, we have been left a legacy and proud history and to the honour past successes we need to lift our game and go after it. I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of results they can produce in Budapest,” McKeon said.
Swimming Australia has officially nominated all six open water athletes for the World Championships which kick off on July 14.
The open water races will be held at Lake Balaton with a full schedule of events available here: http://www.fina.org/sites/default/files/general/fina_wch_bp2017_-_comeptition_schedule_-_rev_08.03.2017.pdf
The remaining World Championship team will be selected at the 2017 Hancock Prospecting Australian Swimming Championships in Brisbane on April 9 to 13.
Tickets for the event are available at: http://bit.ly/AusChamps17
News courtesy of Swimming Australia.