Open Water National Championship Success

Over January we have been sharing the successes of Portsea’s Open Water swimmers, celebrating their accomplishments at Victoria’s open water swims. Most recently we saw their skills on display at the Portsea Swim Classic, but these were sprints compared to what was in store for our Open Water team at Busselton in Western Australia. Sophie Jacka, Archer Larke, Logan Brandi and Mackie Hunter all qualified for the Swimming Australia Championships to be held off one of the most iconic jetties in Australia.

Arriving into a 42 degree heatwave, it was as much about managing yourself out of the water as in. The lead up days were used to trial the course, practise feeding for fuelling swimmers in the long-distance events and enjoy the hospitality of the Margaret River region.

Racing commenced with the 10km distances. First up were the men’s races. Archer was at his first national championships, swimming the distance for his first time, placing 12th in the 18 yo junior men. Logan, racing three days after surgery for his fractured nose, sustained in the Lorne Pier to Pub, did well to keep on Archer’s heels in 13th position. Mackie Hunter followed two hours later in the women’s event, taking SILVER in the 19 yo junior girls’ category.

The younger age group swimmers race over 7.5km, where Sophie Jacka placed 7th in the 17 yo junior girls’ race. Two recovery days were scheduled before the next round of events, but the days off official racing were replaced by the 600-entrant community swim, where our comp team administrator Nat Hood, who has been training specifically for the event, cracked a sub-one-hour time for the 2.5km race in the ‘Super Legends’ category – and boasting, not last!!

Open water swimming is similar to road cycling. Swimmers stay in packs, vying for the best draft position, trying to conserve energy, but ever attentive and ready to sprint with any break-away swimmers. In the 5km racing the men again had the early dawn start. The pace heats up over the shorter distance and Logan Brandi took to the 1.25km circuit for four laps, finishing in 11th place in the 18 yo boys’ event.

Mackie Hunter saved her best ‘til last with an outstanding performance to take GOLD and the title of National Champion in the 19 yo girls’ 5km event. Mackie swam one of her best strategic races, conserving energy in the first three loops of the course, then in the final lap took the lead to set the pace, backing herself for the four-way sprint to the finish. As the leading girls lined up down the final 500m straight, heading into the finish chute, two 18 year olds and two 19 year olds, Mackie put on a burst of ‘speed-kick’ and reached up to touch the finish board with the fastest time of all the junior girls’ 14 -19 year old age groups – by a mere 0.2 seconds after 5km!! The next three girls were given identical times, and placings awarded after the official video review.

As the celebrations began before the long trip home, I reflect where these four swimmers started their open water journeys – the Portsea Pier, doing point to point swims in our Junior Competition Team, followed by pier jumps, milkshakes and summer play dates. They dreamt small and then they dreamt big – doing themselves, their parents, their swim clubs and Portsea SLSC all proud. Well done and enjoy a few days of recovery!!