Blue Mountains swimmers were in fine form at the State Age Swimming Championships in Sydney in January, with several qualifying for the national championships in Adelaide in March.
Darian Quadrio, 15, of Lawson set a blistering pace at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre six-day event, coming home with a swag of medals and PBs for every medal-placing swim.
She is NSW State Age Champion (15 yrs) in the 400m freestyle (4.22.13) and 800m freestyle (9.00.52) events, took home silver in the 200m freestyle (2.05.62) and bronze in the 400m individual medley (5.05).
Darian said her new Speedo swimmers gave her confidence, and winning the 800m freestyle early in the six-day event, propelled her on to placings in her other events.
“In the 800m I was second until the last 400m. I stuck with the other girl next to me and then I got ahead in the turns. Usually my turns are pretty bad, but in the last 200 or 100m I got ahead,” Darian said.
Before her last event, the 400m, Darian discovered a hole in her new swimmers, but despite worrying they would fall apart over the distance, they remained intact and she won that event.
She will compete in the National Age Championships in Adelaide in March, and then onto the the Australian Swimming Championships in April.
Darian recently changed clubs to swim for Knox Pymble after this year obtaining a sporting scholarship from Pymble Ladies’ College. She will be coached by former Abbotsleigh Swim Club coach Leanne Speechley and will make the most of a multi-million dollar facility which is set to open at Pymble in April.
Darian said her coaches Corin Dobson at Springwood and NSW State Teams head coach John Bladon had contributed to her success.
She was selected on the State Team in September and is aiming for the Australian Emerging Talent Squad this year which will be determined by qualifying times at the National Championships.
Also coming home with medals from the State Age Swimming Championships were several members of the Glenbrook Swimming Club.
Alston Jeroff was first in the 17-18 years men's butterfly, Kelsey Otto third in the 14 yrs 100m and 200m breastroke, Claudia Neale was second in the 13 yrs 50m freestyle and third in the 13 yrs 100m freestyle, and Zach Konstantinoff was third in the 13 yrs 100m breastroke.
The club’s 16-18 yrs boys 4x100m and 13-14 yrs boys and girls 4x50m medley relay teams qualified for the National Championships.
It is the first time a girls relay team has qualified for nationals in the club’s 35-year history.
