CHINA BECKONS FOR TALENTED 2012 GROUP
Young swimmers possessing the raw talent to succeed on the
London 2012 Olympic stage will continue their nurturing process
when they travel to Shanghai to take part in the Chinese National
Championships.
A group of five highly regarded athletes will travel to China
on Monday 5th December to compete against the might of a nation
a long way down the road in preparing its own Olympics in
2008.
For the British girls it will provide an invaluable opportunity
to compete in an intense arena against a powerful swimming
country while British Swimming monitors their progress to
help path their way to the London Games.
It also offers the chance to sample cultural differences,
not only for the athletes but for the support staff as well,
because this will be very apparent for those attending Beijing
2008.
The five athletes selected, as part of a Government funded
Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme for 2012, are Jordan Tomlinson
(Lincoln Vulcans), Jessica Dickons (Stockton ASC), Jemma Lowe
(Stockton ASC), Lizzie Simmonds (Lincoln Vulcans) and Ellen
Gandy (Beckenham).
Guiding the girls in Shanghai will be British Swimming National
Performance Director Bill Sweetenham who is looking forward
to working with the future of the sport.
"It's a great opportunity for the girls to learn how
to handle long-haul travel and compete internationally,"
said Sweetenham.
"They'll compete domestically this weekend, travel and
then compete internationally in a very short time frame. It
will promote self-management skills and they'll need to develop
their own strategies in order to perform."
The athletes will be supported by their home programme coaches
to ensure they also gain in experience as the coach's involvement
in enabling their swimmers to reach their potential is key.
"They'll be working with their own personal coaches
in a much more intense environment and it will help to develop
the bond needed as they progress through their careers,"
said Sweetenham.
"We'll have a doctor on the team to educate the swimmers
on health issues while Tim Kerrison and Jodi Cossor will guide
them in exercise physiology and biomechanics respectively.
"The swimmers are the basis for the future British women's
team and we are investing time in them to ensure they reach
their obvious potential. There's a slight chance that some
may come through the set up prior to 2012 so any experience
of China will be of benefit."
The Chinese National Championships (SC) run from 6th to 11th
December. The group will then undergo a 10-day training camp
in Macau.
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