In early April, a number of qualifying WMP swimmers descended on the Gold Coast, to make their mark on the 2023 Australian Age and Open Championships. And what a mark they made!
The club saw a combined age-group and open representation which was unprecedented. Comprising of both new qualifiers and seasoned representatives, many previous qualifiers broadened their competition card this year to include events in which they had not previously raced at the highest level.
The unwavering dedication and meticulous attention to detail by our talented team of coaches, Sebastian Bettiol, Marcus Blake, Marcus Grillo, MSAC coaches Kenrick Monk, Adrian Hirsh and Lex Sendikas, was pivotal in making this year’s WMP Nationals program our strongest ever.
Newly dubbed by event commentators as the ‘Green Cyclones’, our superstars earned their name on the very first day of competition, showing Australia WMP meant business with two finals appearances, a gold medal and new Victorian record in the 100m breaststroke by Thomas Sutherland. My, how the PBs rolled in!
The momentum certainly didn’t stop after the first day, with the rise of the unstoppable backstrokers in Jack Morrow, Xavier Purcell, Samuel Scodella and Charlotte Ristig. Then the barrage of PBs, finals and medals really kicked in. Just ask champion Jack Morrow, who was lucky not to have to travel home by plane after adding considerably to his luggage weight with an unbelievable haul of 4 individual gold medals. Added to which, Jack also claimed silver whilst representing Victoria in the 4x50m mixed medley relay.
The achievements of our Age swimmers didn’t stop there, with first-time qualifiers Enrico Villegas and Samuel Scodella being called up for relay representation. An amazing opportunity and one they embraced, delivering very solid swims to represent their club. Our resident IM leading lady Emmerson Hoggan battled past old and new injuries for an inspiring performance in the 200m and 400m IM events. Proud club moment! Rounding out our team were Tyler Theodore, Taylor Moxon and Noah O'Donnell, scoring amazing individual swimming performances, and being pivotal to our relays.
A second bronze medal for star breaststroker Jacob Nimmo rounded out the Age Championships, paving the way for our Open swimmers to shine.
After a long first week of the WMP Nationals campaign, a number of our Age team joined forces with our incoming Open legends and continued the amazing results that had been enjoyed in the week prior. What a fantastic experience for the teens to rub shoulders with the best in Australia, enjoying finals racing and a particularly impressive second week from backstroker Xavier Purcell, further improving on his qualifying times for Australian trials in June, alongside Jack Morrow, Jacob Nimmo and Thomas Sutherland.
Our WMP Open swimmers proved a force to be reckoned with in our second week of racing. Whilst in heavy preparation for Australian Trials in June, these amazing athletes knew how to represent. With a number of personal best times by our team under heavy training load, Nicholas Layton displayed his strength and dominance with gold in the 50m Butterfly Multi Class in a personal best time. It’s off to the World Deaf Swimming Championships for this young man, who is like all our open athletes, impressive both in and out of the water.
The nights were filled with Propulsion air, with presence pooldeck a regular occurence. A highlight for all our WMP swimmers is the chance to do their club proud in National relays, and wow, did they ever!
Our Open Green Cyclones Robbe Dilissen, Lev Makarushkin, Lachie Jackett-Simpson and James McBride lived up to the name, taking home silver in the 4x200m freestyle relay.
Perhaps the most rewarding part of the WMP Nationals campaign is the evident bond that our swimmers, coaches and families have as a team. This was widely recognised and highlighted by other clubs, both from Victoria and other States. Our National team will enjoy these connections for years to come.
Wishing all the very best to our Australian Trials Qualifiers and shooting for the stars in the season ahead!
Story by Samantha S.
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