Local swimmers dive into FINA World Championships

PHUKET: Fresh from claiming nine medals at the recent South East Asian (SEA) Games, five members of the BISP JSA Swim Academy, based at British International School Phuket (BISP), are jumping into the pool today to compete in the 16th FINA World Championships.

The championships will be held in Kazan, Russia, from July 24 to August 9.

“The opportunity for five of our high school swimmers to qualify and compete at the biggest competition in the swimming calendar this year, is a testament to the dedication and application to excellence that these swimmers have shown all season,” said BISP JSA Swim Academy Head Coach Simon Jones.

“Its been a very busy competition schedule over the past few months, which has also coincided with IGCSE and IB end of year exams. It takes a special type of student athlete to be able to successfully achieve in both disciplines, and not only do we have high achieving scholars within this group heading off to university in the United States with excellent academics, we also have students that still have World Junior Championships and Commonwealth Youth Games to compete in before the start of the next academic year.

“While the World Championships carry no weight of expectations with them, the experience is vital in their development from elite age group competitors into the senior ranks. With five Olympic qualifying times achieved already from these swimmers, the coming 12 months provide an opportunity that very few globally will ever place themselves in.

“We know there is still a lot of work to be done to secure these positions and officially make their respective international teams for Rio 2016, yet Kazan will provide yet another motivational boost for all of the hard work and sacrifice that the next academic year will require.”

The five high school student athletes, Felicity Passon representing the Seychelles, Lushano Lamprecht (Namibia), Phiangkwan ‘Eing’ Pawapotako (Thailand), Fukang Wong (Malaysia) and Roxanne Yu (Philippines) will be competing in the following events:

Lushano Lamprecht: 100m and 200m Backstroke
Felicity Passon: 100m Butterfly
Roxanne Yu: 100m and 200m Backstroke
Phiangkwan Pawapotako: 200m Breaststroke, 200m IM, 400m IM
Fukang Wong: 100m Breaststroke

In addition to the nine individual events, BISP swimmers will also be competing in relay races for their respective countries.

— Simon N Ostheimer