SHOULD Hawke's Bay swimmer Josh Greening need a motivational push during his training sessions he only needs to think of two words ... Commonwealth Games.
Heretaunga Sundevils' Greening, 18, has set selection for the 2018 Commonwealth Games on Australia's Gold Coast as his long-term goal after winning his first national title during last week's short course nationals in Auckland. The EIT Electrical Trade Course student won the 17-18 years 50m freestyle final by .02 of a second with a time of 23.41s.
"Josh's title was awesome for our club. He is the first swimmer from our Flaxmere-based club who was born in Flaxmere and grew up in Flaxmere to win a national title for at least 10 years," coach Willy Benson said.
"It was the result of two-and-a-half year work after coming back to swimming refreshed after a five-year break. I started when I was four and finished when I was 10 because I wasn't really enjoying it," Greening recalled.
He also qualified for the open final and finished ninth overall and eighth best of the Kiwi starters. Along with 2008 Olympian Benson, who has coached Greening since his return, Greening, Nick Macky and Joseph Belcher finished third in the open men's 4 x 50m freestyle relay.