Preparation in full swing

As the cold winter months draw near, not even the hardy swimmers would relish taking to the water, albeit in a heated pool, for a leisurely swim. Moreover, going through that on a routine basis is unthinkable.

Nevertheless, our national team swimmers and a number of youngsters attached to the clubs, are tuned to such regular chores as they go through intensive preparation during the cold season.

Winter swimming programmes are set, with specific targets being principal points of reference. The work is intense and demanding, since this high-profile sport is a purely individual discipline based on repetitive and monotonous training sessions.

At this point in time our top swimmers have just completed the first of three cycles which should see them peak for the Small Nations Games early in June next year.

Attila Selmeci, in his last season before terminating his contract after the GSSE in Malta, is resolved to see his swimmers reach the targets which have been set, that is, winning medals and good placings in the June event.

So far, the first cycle which ended the previous weekend gave positive indications that the athletes are on the right track, and with the programme in full swing, prospects for further improvement are encouraging.

"The swimmers finished off the first part of the programme better than they did at this time last year. I was pleased with the serious way they worked and the results in the latest time trial confirm this."

He said that personal bests from Neil Agius (17:29.23 - 1500m freestyle), Niky Abela (1:23.92 - 100m breast), Rachelle Axiaq (2:42.42 - 200m 'fly), all in Age-Group D, show that these swimmers are in the right groove for better performances.

"I am pleased with this progress. Angela Galea is again setting her own high standards and her 2:22.85 in the 200 'fly was only 1.24 seconds off her national record set in the Commonwealth Games last July when she just missed qualifying for the final," Selmeci said.

Davina Mangion, Roberta Callus, despite not being fully fit, her sister Lara and Ian Diacono were also very close to their PBs, never mind the lack of competition they had. Tamsyn Sciortino (Group C) did well to better her own 100m freestyle record when clocking 1:09.19.

Apart from this, one should mention the age-group record (Group C) set by the promising 14-year-old Kyle Scerri, who is under the guidance of Gail Rizzo.

The Neptunes swimmer clocked 29.52 seconds in the 50m 'fly, erasing the previous mark of 29.66 held by Kenny D'Ugo.

The winter schedule will now enter its second cycle which continues with a preparation session in Stuttgart the coming weekend. That will be followed by a training camp in Catania between December 26 and January 3, where our swimmers will be the guests of Poseidon Catania.

Incidentally, contacts with this leading Sicilian club were made by Dr Michael Gialanze, chairman of the ASA Swimming Board who arranged for alternative training and competition in Catania after the National Pool was temporarily ruled out due to certain exigencies.

Unfortunately, the unavailability of the pool will affect the youngsters' training programme adversely. One hopes that the pool will not be closed for long and in any case it will be a one-off affair.

Selmeci said that the end of the second cycle on March 2, when the swimmers should compete in Sindenfingen in Germany, will give indications where the team stands in the overall build-up for the June GSSE.

"I expect the swimmers' performance graph to go up then, after which we enter the last cycle culminating in the GSSE. Given the hard work put in so far I am hopeful the boys and girls will achieve what they are aiming for," Selmeci said.

Dr Gialanze was equally hopeful of a positive outcome at the end of the season.

"We need to keep on working with the same zest of these last 18 months. Interest in swimming is extending to other clubs on the island, besides Neptunes, Sliema and Sirens. The Swimming Promotion Unit is doing good work and clubs like Marsascala are looking with renewed interest at this sport, while even Barracudas will be forming a swimming school.

"The number of youngsters at the last time trial is indicative of a good base. That can yield a couple of swimmers who can make the grade. Besides this, financial support from the MOC should help towards maintaining this interest and providing our swimmers with much needed exposure to competitive swimming from overseas performers either in Malta or abroad," Dr Gialanze said.

In any case, the preparatory programme is in full swing both for the national group as well as the youngsters of the various clubs. Come next June, an air of expectancy will soon grip the swimmers.

Australian-born Maltese girl to compete in GSSE

Ashley Borg, a 16-year-old Maltese girl, whose parents migrated to Australia a few years ago, is expected to join the Maltese swimming contingent in the hope of representing Malta in next June's GSSE.

Borg, born in Australia, has reportedly covered the 200m breastroke in 2:38 and should be a good prospect for winning a medal in that event in the GSSE.

It is understood that the girl has already got a Maltese passport, which makes her eligible to represent her country.