Bridget Allan in action at the New Zealand Secondary School Swimming Championships in Wellington. PHOTO/BWMEDIA
SWIMMING
JAKE BELESKI
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Solway College’s Bridget Allan led a strong contingent of Wairarapa swimmers at the recent New Zealand Secondary School Swimming Championships in Wellington.
Allan, 14, is part of the Carterton Swimming Club, and achieved three top-six finishes at the competition.
She was fifth in the 14-year-old girls’ 50m backstroke, fifth in the 100m backstroke and sixth in the 200m backstroke.
Allan also competed in freestyle and butterfly events, but said backstroke had become her best stroke.
“I used to focus on butterfly but then I went to backstoke, and I’m kind of getting into freestyle as well.
“I’m working towards a swim meet in two weeks, which is the New Zealand Short Course Championships in Auckland.”
Allan has been swimming competitively since she was 11 and has an intense training regime when she is preparing for a meet.
“My mum was friends with someone who was a coach so that was how I got started.
“If I’m training for a swim meet I usually train about seven or eight times a week, otherwise, maybe six times a week.”
Swimming is a year-round commitment for Allan, and she is in the middle of one of the busiest parts of the season.
“January to April is the main swimming season, and now is another main part as well.
“I have a swim camp in January and a whole lot of competitions as well.”
Allan sees herself as a short course specialist, and prefers the shorter races to those contested over longer distances.
“I like 50m and 100m — I’m not really a long distance swimmer.”
Other achievements of note included Masterton Swimming Club’s Hannah Cohr — from St Matthew’s Collegiate — finishing 11th in the 200m backstroke and 12th in the 100m backstroke, and Jorja Younger from Wairarapa College finishing 12th in the 100m breaststroke and 13th in the 50m breaststroke.
