Scotch College

Matt Welsh for Olympic Games

If it's not the 100 backstroke, it's the 200 backstroke. If you are in form you may as well take the 50 backstroke as well.

Matt Welsh has stormed through the Australian backstroke record books in the recently completed Australian Open Swimming Championships and Olympic Selection Trials during May in Sydney.

On walking out from the Marshalling Area for his 100 metres backstroke final Matt was set ready to go, only to wait for the formalities before the race of the start. On the start signal Matt pounced at the opportunity to be selected recording 55.75 seconds for his heat swim, 54.85 seconds for his semi final swim and a Commonwealth Record, and finally a new Australian Record was snatched when Matt came home in the finals in 54.14 seconds. It is no wonder the commentary claimed 'what a blistering swim from this man Welsh'. Matt now entered the realm of being the 4th fastest All Time Swimmer for this event.

So determined was Matt that he came back a couple of days later to take on the 200 metres backstroke. Setting a heat time of 2.01.28, followed by a semi final time of 1:59.54, Matt's concentration earned him another Australian Record in the finals. Even though Matt was "in the pack" for the first half of the race, his turns and his incredible butterfly jettisoned him closer to the lead and finally clearly in the lead after the final turn.

Ed Roche also competed at trials

Ed Roche (Vice Captain of Swimming 1997) also competed at the Selection Trials in the backstroke events finishing 6th in the 200 metres backstroke with a time of 2:03.48. His other events included the 50 and the 100 metres backstroke securing a semi final berth in both, and recording 27.36 seconds and 57.36 seconds respectively. Ed has been training up at the Australian Institute of Sport since leaving Scotch.

Selection trials for Robert Hunwick

Another Scotch student competing at the Selection Trials was Robert Hunwick, a Year 10 student. Even though relatively younger than the other national swimmers, Rob competed in the 100 and 200 metres backstroke recording 1:00.45 and 2:11.38 respectively in his events. Rob's 100 backstroke time was 0.7 seconds faster than his time at the National Age Championships. Yet another swimmer with quiet determination, Rob has been competing for Scotch establishing pool records and providing some blistering swims for the Scotch Swim Team.

Since Matt Welsh had also competed for Scotch in the Swimming & Diving Team, Matt could not give up the temptation to also snatch the 50 metre Commonwealth Record. After about 30 metres into the race, Matt began to edge out the remaining competitors in the pool to snatch the Australian Title, a Commonwealth Record, and to place himself 0.69 seconds outside Lenny Krazelburg's World Record.

Both Rob and Matt have been training with the Surrey Park Swimming Club which was using the Scotch swimming pool for the last 2 terms. Head Coach Ian Pope helps with the Scotch Swimming & Diving Team, and has just been appointed to the coaching panel for the Australian Swimming Team for the coming Olympics.

The Junior School boys, in the Learn to Swim Program, were in awe as they watched these national level swimmers train. They all watched what national level sport meant, especially when drug tests were performed, when the National Youth Coach was present, when the Sports Psychologist was present, or even when lactate testing was done.

Rick Berry