Swimming: Bobbi Gichard scores US scholarship in Florida

Hawke's Bay swimmer Bobbi Gichard will begin a four-year scholarship with the University of Florida in August. Photo/Photosport

It's not often a teenager can take off to the United States for four years in an attempt to save their parents money.

But if you happen to be Hawke's Bay swimmer Bobbi Gichard, who secured a four-year full rights scholarship with the University of Florida Gators swim team this week, that's definitely the case.

"Mum and dad [Caroline and Dean] have spent so much on me during the past six years. This move will take a lot of the financial stress off them. I've been living fulltime up in Auckland for the past three years so mum and dad have been paying my rent and food for all of that time," Gichard said last night.

The 18-year-old former Greendale club member, who will represent New Zealand at the April 4-15 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, will leave for Florida after the August Pan Pacific Games in Tokyo. She admitted a United States scholarship hasn't been an option for that long.

"After last year's July world championships in Budapest I was receiving a few offers from universities over in the states. But I wasn't in the right space and then I started looking at it again and decided the University of Florida would be a really good place to go.

Three other Kiwis, Corey and Bayley Main and Georgia Marris have already represented the Gators. United States star and 12-time Olympic Games medalist Ryan Lochte is returning to the Gators camp soon.

"I feel going to the United States will help me achieve my long-term goal of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The high quality coaching in Florida, fantastic facilities and tough meets week after week, there will be no easy meets over there, should boost my chances."

A member of the Kiwi medley relay team which was the third best of the Commonwealth teams in Budapest and the 23rd best 200m backstroker, Gichard, said the Tokyo trip is perfectly timed.

"While we won't be swimming in the same pool which will be used for the Olympics it will be good to get use to their time zones, temperatures and other stuff like that," Gichard explained.

The 2015 Hawke's Bay Secondary Schools Sportsperson of the Year award winner, who represents Auckland's Howick Pakuranga club these days, will still be able to return to New Zealand each year for key qualifying meetings. At the same time Swimming New Zealand will also allow her to meet qualifying targets through United States meets.

"There are only a certain amount of days I am allowed out of the United States. It's awesome that David has agreed to coach me when I'm back home too," Gichard said referring to her coach, former Great Britain and China Olympic coach David Lyles.

Although the 100 and 200m backstroke will be her main events in the United States, 200m and 400m freestyle will be her second options.

"Most of my training will be focused on the backstroke because that's what I'm aiming for at the Olympics."

Gichard, who will study sports management in Florida, is looking forward to the two-day conference meets every second week which will see the Gators take on teams from other universities within Florida. Gators head coach Gregg Troy was head coach of the United States men's tean at the 2012 London Olympics.

At last year's April New Zealand Open Championships in Auckland Gichard won golds in her 100 and 200m backstroke finals and silver in her 50m backstroke final. At last month's Commonwealth Games trials on the Gold Coast she recorded a time of 1m.01.62s for 100m backstroke and 2m14.97s for the 200m.

Gichard pointed out the Kiwi Commonwealth Games swimmer had from December 22-27 off training during the festive season before resuming training again. They are in the middle of a tough block.

"We are doing hard sessions with a little bit of extras. I'm happy with how everything is coming together for me. The sessions are a lot more intense but we know what to do and how to do it."