NEW STARS ON THE HORIZON AS OLYMPIANS RETURN TO POOL
This month's Telstra Australian Short Course Championships at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre will provide the perfect opportunity for the next generation of swim stars to make a name for themselves.
The five-day meet, which begins on Saturday September 20, will feature a smattering of returning Beijing Olympians, a number of fellow Dolphins swimmers and a bunch of budding youngsters.
While most of the stars of Beijing are on a break from training, backstroke hero Hayden Stoeckel (Norwood, SA) and silver medal winning relay heat swimmer Christian Sprenger (Commercial, QLD) will be there and can be expected to headline the men's events.
In the women's events, teenage sensation and dual bronze medallist Cate Campbell (Indooroopilly, QLD) and triple Commonwealth Games champion and Olympic semi-finalist Sophie Edington (Kingscliff, NSW) have also entered the meet.
Stoeckel, who won a surprise bronze medal in the 100 metres backstroke in his first Olympic experience before placing sixth in the 200m backstroke and helping Australia to a wonderful silver medal in the 4x100m medley relay, said he can't wait to get back in the competition pool.
"I've never really put in a good short course meet and I think I can do a few good times this time around, I can't wait," Stoeckel said.
"I've got the confidence at the moment and I've got to keep it going. I could have had a break but I am excited about the opportunity to swim fast again. This is an Australian Championship!"
With two Olympic medals on the mantle Stoeckel could easily have rested on his laurels instead of facing the next group of young backstrokers but the 24-year-old is well aware of the challengers waiting in the wings.
Robert Hurley (Wests Illawarra Aquatic, NSW) and Daniel Arnamnart (Aquaburn, NSW) are two such challengers that Stoeckel is wary of.
Hurley was a finalist in the 50m backstroke at this year's FINA World Short Course Championships in Manchester before winning six gold medals at the Oceania Championships, while Arnamnart was the male swimmer of the meet at the 2007 Junior Pan Pacs.
"I really want to see how I can swim at national level again because there are guys already waiting to swim well," Stoeckel said.
"Bobby Hurley is an awesome short course swimmer and Danny Arnamnart is always dangerous.
"They're the next group coming through and (fellow Olympic finalist) Ash Delaney and I have to watch out."
Other youngsters who could make a big breakthrough at senior national level include Samantha Marshall (Cook & Phillip, NSW), Ellen Fullerton (Pro-Ma Miami), Amelia Evatt- Davey (Pro-Ma Miami), Stephen Parkes (St Peters Western, QLD) and Trent Grimsey (Albany Creek).
Of the experienced swimmers that were not in Beijing, 2004 Olympian Marieke Guehrer and 2005 long course world champion Danni Miatke (both Melbourne Vicentre) are sure to do well in their home pool, as is this year's World Short Course Championships medallist Sarah Katsoulis (CA Tritons, VIC) and finalist Kristy Morrison (Castle Hill RSL Dolphins, NSW).
Jonathon Newton (Sydney University, NSW), Matthew Abood (Kingscliff, NSW), Kyle Richardson (Commercial, QLD) and Tom Miller (Cranbrook Eastern Edge, NSW) will be strong performers in the men's sprint freestyle, while Christopher Wright (Commercial, QLD) and Craig Calder (Albury, NSW) will show the benefits of competing alongside Hurley, Katsoulis and Morrison at the World Short Course Championships earlier in the year.
Tickets can be purchased at the door and start at $3 for children / concession and $5 for adults. Heats sessions start at 10am each day, with finals set down for 6.30pm.