The White Rock Amateur Swimming Association had one of its most successful sessions to date at the BC Summer Swimming Association Provincial Championships Aug. 14-20 in Kamloops, setting eight provincial records in the process.
The club returned home with 20 gold medals, 10 silver medals, seven bronze medals and 51 fourth-eighth place finishes.
Emma Lawson set two provincial records, one in Div. 5 50m Freestyle and one in Div. 5 100m Backstroke; Andrew Bishop set a Div. 6 100m Butterfly record, which was a 24-year-old record; Lauren Toy set a Div. 5 100m Breaststroke, Leila Fack set a Div. 4 50m fly record; Zadie Fack, Amy Connorton, Katherine Toy and Lawson set a Div. 6 200m freestyle relay record and Lawson, Toy, Connorton and Lauren Toy set a Div. 6 200m medley relay record.
“I am consistently amazed by what these young athletes accomplish. Whether or not you break a record or win a medal, when you achieve a personal best, that is a powerful personal accomplishment,” said WRASA president Vincent Choong in a news release Tuesday.
Asked what might be a contributing factor to the club’s continued success on the provincial stage, WRASA communications director Bill Bishop said the club’s strong technical focus might be the key to success.
“For kids under 13, there’s the athlete development model which illustrates kids under 13 don’t develop mussle mass, so we focus on technique,” Bishop told Peace Arch News.
“Our coaches have picked up on that really closely. So they have developed really efficient strokes, they do special drills that support the efficiency and the effectiveness of each stroke they’re doing. It’s a highly technical program.”
By the time the athletes turn 13 years old, they start doing dry land exercises and strength training, he said.
The swimmers will now relax with a six-week break before returning to the pool for winter training, starting in October.
aaron.hinks@peacearchnews.com
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