Swimming quartet churn out extra laps for competition

SWIMMING by KATIE FARMAN
There may have been hail falling in Rotorua yesterday, but the wintry blast wasn't enough to deter a quartet of the city's hardiest swimmers from putting in a few extra laps.
Arawai Swimming Club's Bradley Wass and Russell Athletic Eagles' Carl O'Donnell, Carla Van Bommel and Kane Radford took to the water to churn out valuable mileage ahead of this weekend's Inaugural Swimming New Zealand Spring Competition in Wellington. The four-day event at the Kilbirne Aquatic Centre will see some of the country's most promising age-group swimmers try and catch the eye of national selectors and attain Swimming New Zealand squad standards for the 2005/2006 season.
It's enough to make anyone nervous. "To be honest, I am feeling nervous," said 14-year Radford. "I've not had a big competition for a while, probably since competing at the Australian age-group championships in April." Radford, who made headlines in July after smashing the national under-14 1500m freestyle record by more than 15 seconds and recording a new personal best (pb) of 16:09.96, is hungry for more records this weekend.
He's determined to break age-group records in the 1500m, 800m and 400m freestyle, as well as set pbs in his other events.
"Oh, I can't wait to get in the water and have some really good competition," he said.
O'Donnell and Van Bommel, who along with Radford train at the Bay of Plenty performance centre under coach Clive Power, are also gunning for pbs and a series of top ten finishes in their respective events.
"I've been feeling really strong in the pool at training and have been peaking for this competition," said Van Bommel.
"I'd be happy with 100 per cent personal bests."
Sprint specialist Wass, who not only celebrated his 15th birthday yesterday but recently recovered from glandular fever, is hoping to find a return to competitive form this weekend.
The Scott Donaldson-coached swimmer is hoping to record pb's in the 100m freestyle and 50m and 200m fly.
The Rotorua quartet will join 11 other swimmers to represent Swimming Bay of Plenty at the competition.
* The New Zealand Spring competition is being held at the Kilbernie Aquatic Centre from September 25-28 and is raced in two age groups: 15 years and under and 16 years and over.