Moree swimmers Alex Macey and Gabbie Elbourne will be racing against the state’s best swimmers next week when they compete in the 2018 Swimming NSW Senior State Age Championships.
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Alex has qualified for the 14 years boys 100 metre and 200m breaststroke events, to be held on Monday, December 17 and Wednesday, December 19 respectively, while Gabbie will be competing in the 13 years girls 100m backstroke event, also on Wednesday.
To qualify for State Age, both Moree swimmers had to meet certain times during Swimming NSW events they’ve competed in throughout the year.
“It is absolutely an achievement to qualify,” Moree Amateur Swimming Club’s Tammy Elbourne said.
“The higher they go, the times become faster and faster to qualify.”
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This will be Gabbie’s first time competing at the Senior State Age Championships.
She’s been training hard in the hopes of recording a national qualifying time.
“I’m really excited,” she said.
“I’ve been training really hard so I can get a national time and get a place. I’d like to take six seconds off my time – that’s the national time for next year.”
Alex is also looking forward to competing in his first long course state age event, having placed sixth and eighth in the 100m and 200m breaststroke events at the NSW State Short Course Championships in August.
The 100m breaststroke is his favourite event and the one he’s most excited about competing in.
“I’m more confident in it,” he said.
Alex is also chasing national qualifying times, as well as personal bests in both events.
“I want to shave a few seconds off my time,” he said.
With roughly 10 heats of up to 10 swimmers each in every event, Ms Elbourne said it would be a significant achievement for Gabbie and Alex to just make the finals.
