grease lightning
SWIMMING UPSTREAM
By Alix Baumgartner
Hayley Barnes didn’t have to pack a medal into her bag before she left Brisbane last week, at the close of the National Age Swimming Championships.
She didn’t win one.
Hayley placed equal 17th of 20 competitors in her pet event, the grueling 200 metre Butterfly.
Most 16-year-olds wouldn’t survive 200 metres of Butterfly, but Hayley’s training regime at Roselands Aquatics Centre—18 hours in the pool and four cross-training sessions every week—makes this distance seem short.
Hayley says that she loves swimming, but that her performance at the National Championships was disappointing. She clocked a time three seconds slower than her best. “It’s the best feeling in the world when you swim well. But then again it’s the worst feeling when you swim badly,” she says.
Her coach, Col Robson, says Hayley is the most consistent trainer among the Roselands squad. “Hayley very seldom gives a poor performance at training,” he says. Mr Robson has accompanied Hayley to each of her three National Championships, and says “it is very frustrating when she doesn’t achieve her goals because she deserves to.”
Hayley’s training partner and best friend, Lauren Phee, also competed in Brisbane. Lauren qualified for the championships for the first time this year, and also performed below expectations. “I wish I’d swum a personal best time, but I’m looking forward to swimming better next year,” she says.
Hayley and Lauren agree that it was hard to see their fellow team-members swim so well at the week-long championships. 14-year-old Ciaran Morgan placed fifth in the 100m and 200m freestyle in personal best times. 13-year-old Nicole Ellis slashed her personal best time and improved from 49th ranking to 12th overall.
“I was happy for Ciaran and Nicole, but it is tough to watch,” said Hayley. “I know that I train as hard and sacrifice as much as they do.” But Hayley says it isn’t productive to lament disappointing performances. In fact, “When I swim slower than I hoped I would, I have more motivation at training,” she says.
It is a creditable achievement to even qualify for the National Championships. The qualifying standards improve each year as swimming becomes ever more popular, especially in New South Wales and Queensland.
Andrew Flaherty, Assistant Executive Director of the NSW Swimming Association, said that the number of registered amateur swimmers across the state has increased by approximately 1000 to nearly 40, 000 this competitive season.
As testament to the strength of Australian swimming in the younger ages, the winner of Hayley’s event, Queenslander Stephanie Rice, came second at the Open National Championships in January. But Hayley says she doesn’t compare herself to competitors like Stephanie, who can swim up to 15 seconds faster than her in the 200m Butterfly.
After all, the value of the three medals is created by the fact that 20 or more swimmers are competing for them. “Winning a medal and swimming five seconds over your best time is nothing to be proud of. If you can’t say you’ve improved yourself, it doesn’t mean much,” Hayley says.
Hayley intends to keep swimming indefinitely. “I know I can go faster. As long as I have something to strive for, I’ll keep swimming. I’d love to make a final at Nationals.”
By Alix Baumgartner
Hayley Barnes didn’t have to pack a medal into her bag before she left Brisbane last week, at the close of the National Age Swimming Championships.
She didn’t win one.
Hayley placed equal 17th of 20 competitors in her pet event, the grueling 200 metre Butterfly.
Most 16-year-olds wouldn’t survive 200 metres of Butterfly, but Hayley’s training regime at Roselands Aquatics Centre—18 hours in the pool and four cross-training sessions every week—makes this distance seem short.
Hayley says that she loves swimming, but that her performance at the National Championships was disappointing. She clocked a time three seconds slower than her best. “It’s the best feeling in the world when you swim well. But then again it’s the worst feeling when you swim badly,” she says.
Her coach, Col Robson, says Hayley is the most consistent trainer among the Roselands squad. “Hayley very seldom gives a poor performance at training,” he says. Mr Robson has accompanied Hayley to each of her three National Championships, and says “it is very frustrating when she doesn’t achieve her goals because she deserves to.”
Hayley’s training partner and best friend, Lauren Phee, also competed in Brisbane. Lauren qualified for the championships for the first time this year, and also performed below expectations. “I wish I’d swum a personal best time, but I’m looking forward to swimming better next year,” she says.
Hayley and Lauren agree that it was hard to see their fellow team-members swim so well at the week-long championships. 14-year-old Ciaran Morgan placed fifth in the 100m and 200m freestyle in personal best times. 13-year-old Nicole Ellis slashed her personal best time and improved from 49th ranking to 12th overall.
“I was happy for Ciaran and Nicole, but it is tough to watch,” said Hayley. “I know that I train as hard and sacrifice as much as they do.” But Hayley says it isn’t productive to lament disappointing performances. In fact, “When I swim slower than I hoped I would, I have more motivation at training,” she says.
It is a creditable achievement to even qualify for the National Championships. The qualifying standards improve each year as swimming becomes ever more popular, especially in New South Wales and Queensland.
Andrew Flaherty, Assistant Executive Director of the NSW Swimming Association, said that the number of registered amateur swimmers across the state has increased by approximately 1000 to nearly 40, 000 this competitive season.
As testament to the strength of Australian swimming in the younger ages, the winner of Hayley’s event, Queenslander Stephanie Rice, came second at the Open National Championships in January. But Hayley says she doesn’t compare herself to competitors like Stephanie, who can swim up to 15 seconds faster than her in the 200m Butterfly.
After all, the value of the three medals is created by the fact that 20 or more swimmers are competing for them. “Winning a medal and swimming five seconds over your best time is nothing to be proud of. If you can’t say you’ve improved yourself, it doesn’t mean much,” Hayley says.
Hayley intends to keep swimming indefinitely. “I know I can go faster. As long as I have something to strive for, I’ll keep swimming. I’d love to make a final at Nationals.”
painted pretty by alix @ 5:59 PM
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