Sunshine Coast Grammar Swimming Club had four athletes compete against Australia’s best open water swimmers at the Australian Open Water Championships recently, reaching the podium and claiming two Gold medals.
Sunshine Coast Grammar School student, Daisy Quinn claimed Gold in the 16-Year Girls 5km and 7.5km.
These convincing wins come off the back of a successful season, with Daisy also claiming Gold in the 1500m freestyle at the Queensland Swimming Championships in Brisbane.
The Australian Open Water Championships were held in Busselton, WA from 25 – 28 January with hundreds of elite swimmers competing. Athletes competed in a series of events including 5km, 7.5km and 10km races that also act as qualifiers for international FINA events later in the year.
Another Sunshine Coast Grammar School student, Jake Hammond made his national open-water debut at the Championships, finishing strongly in sixth position in the 15-Year Boys 5km race.
Jake also finished strongly at the State Championships, claiming Silver in the mixed freestyle relay and fourth in the 1500m freestyle.
‘Sunshine Coast Grammar swimmers were prepared and ready to compete with the best and they sure did us proud,’ said Head Coach, Luke Stafford.
‘Open water swimming is a growing discipline and since the inclusion of the 10km event at the Olympics, it has become an event that appeals to more and more swimmers.’
Sunshine Coast Grammar Swimming Club athletes are some of the best swimmers in the country and most recently had the highest club point score north of Brisbane at the Queensland Swimming Championships in December.
All athletes display great amounts of discipline, passion and pride with many training up to 25 hours per week in the pool and the gym. It is a huge responsibility made easier with the support and guidance of the Club’s dedicated coaching staff.
Head Coach, Luke Stafford and his coaching team have guided athletes to medal-winning performances in regional, state and national championships since its inaugural 2017/2018 season.
‘Our focus will now turn back to the pool, with the National Championships being held on the Gold Coast in April and the World Championship trials in June.’
Following the success of the National Championships, Swimming Australia invited both Daisy and Luke to the 2023 Open Water Swimming Development Camp in March.
The Development Camp brings together the best open-water junior athletes and creates opportunities for collaboration, challenges and innovation. It is an excellent opportunity to develop their training and performance experiences further.
The Camp will be held at Novotel Sunshine Coast Resort, Twin Waters with open-water training held daily and workshops focused on nutrition, tactical preparation, and physiotherapy preparation.
Congratulations to Daisy and Luke on this fantastic achievement!