Weston aims for finals

IF AUSTRALIA'S long list of Olympic swimming medals is anything to go by - Jack Weston is in for a tough challenge.

Weston, 17, will go up against some of the best young swimmers in Australia this weekend.

He has made the trip over to Melbourne for the Victoria State Age Championships, which start today and run until Thursday.

The Rotorua Lakes High School student was selected as part of the AquaKnights team to compete at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre, the same venue used for the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

He attended the Victoria State Age Championships last year as well, making the finals in his breaststroke events.

He said his goal was to make the finals again this year and also break a couple of Bay of Plenty records.

"I want to break three Bay of Plenty records and make finals," he said.

"I'm entered in the 50m, 100m and 200m freestyle, 100m and 200m breaststroke and 200m individual medley.

"My favourite event is 100m breaststroke because it's my best stroke and it is not too long."

Weston is one of the top performers to come out of Swim Rotorua in recent seasons.

Weston said he started competing in swimming six years ago and got into the sport after swimming in the nearby lakes.

He said he was feeling good ahead of his races in Melbourne where he will compete in the boys 17-18 age group.

"I've had a pretty good lead-up although it has been a little stretched due to exams."

The AquaKnights team going over to the big event includes the fastest swimmers selected from the four regions of Bay of Plenty, Hawkes Bay/Poverty Bay, Taranaki and Waikato. All the swimmers had to meet tough selection criteria to make the team.

Meanwhile, four other swimmers from the Swim Rotorua club have been selected on to the 2014 AquaKnights Tri Series Tour in Taranaki starting today.

The five-day tour includes training and racing. The four local swimmers are Paddy Baylis, 14, David Boles, 14, Bianca Donelley, 12, and William Spear, 15.

Swim Rotorua head coach Alastair Johnson said the local swimmers would benefit from the trips. "It's a great step up for the five swimmers as they seek to improve themselves. Jack will be racing against some very good Australians, while the tour swimmers will have a great opportunity to race tough and to make some competitive gains."