TRENT'S READY TO GO THE DISTANCE AT PENRITH AND IN THE POOL
Sydney, February 26: Queensland's Trent Grimsey will start his campaign for selection on the Telstra Dolphins Australian Swim Team for this year's FINA World Championships in Rome at this weekend's Australian Open Water Championships at the Sydney International Regatta Centre, Penrith.
Grimsey, 20, has emerged as the boy most likely in Australia's distance swimming arena following the retirement of Grant Hackett and Craig Stevens and Ky Hurst's move back to surf after last year's Olympic Games in Beijing.
The string-bean youngster has entered both the 10 and five km open water events on Saturday and Sunday and will contest the 800 and 1500 metres freestyle at the Telstra Australian Championships at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre (March 17-22).
Grimsey's time of 15:12.36 (swum when he finished third to Hackett and Stevens at last year's Olympic Trials) makes him the fastest 1500 metre swimmer in Australia - sound credentials to suggest he will continue to improve in both open water and in the pool.
Australia's National Head Coach Alan Thompson liked what he saw when he joined John Rodgers group at Brisbane's Albany Creek Aquatic Centre this week.
"Trent's in great shape and he has done enough open water swims in recent years to have some experience behind him," said Thompson.
"He has three weeks to prepare himself for the pool events but he's young and fit and he'll be ready.
"We are looking for distance swimmers and there are some big opportunities for these young boys."
Grimsey will be joined in both the 5km and 10km races by his two younger brothers, Codie, 18 and Ridge 15, who will contest the Age group events, to be swum in conjunction with the open races.
The Olympic 10km men's distance open event has attracted a class field with St Peters Western training partners, former world 25km champion Brendan Capell and 2007 World Championship team member David Browne among the pre-race favourites.
The women's events will see defending Australian champion and Olympic 800m and 10km swimmer Melissa Gorman joined by two-time World Championship bronze medallist Kate Brookes-Peterson and her fellow world championship team members Alexandra Bagley, Lauren Arndt, Shelley Clark and Brooke Fletcher.
PROGRAM OF EVENTS:
Saturday, February 28: 8am - Men's open and age 10km; 11am - Women's open and age 10km.
Sunday, March 1: 8am - Men's, 17/18 years and MD 5km: 10am - Women's open, 17/18 years and MD 5km; 12 noon - 16 and 15 years boys 5km; 12.15 - 16 and 15 years girls 5km; 2:15 - 14 and 13 years Boys 5km; 2:30 - 14 and 13 girls 5km.
Monday, March 2: 8am - Men's and Women's 25km