Olympic hopefuls return to training in Larne

These times, achieved in the Swim Ulster Dave McCullagh meet in February, had built on the successes achieved in Glasgow and Dublin at the European Championships and Irish Nationals, where the pair had rewritten the Irish record books 12 times.

Rumours started to circulate at the start of March that because of Covid-19 we were going to be forced into lockdown, then on March 17 it was official: Olympic trials were cancelled, along with the Olympics – and everything else.

As the country was wrapped in mothballs and lives put on hold, the swim team in Larne prepared to keep their athletes engaged in the programme, to provide training and the sense of belonging to ‘Team Larne’ that head coach Peter Hill has been building between these aspiring young people.

What followed was 180 days of online quizzes, Zoom meetings, group yoga via video link, home gym workouts, ‘core’entine workouts, workouts with D, bake-offs, video – silent discos and any number of other methods to keep athletes fit and active.

One-hundred-and-eighty long days after they last swam in Larne as a team, on September 2, council opened its doors to allow a phased return to the pool for Team Larne (read here).

The Tokyo games have been suspended, trials moved, plans drawn up and the world in the pool finally started.

Thanks to the efforts of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, and its committee, the club has been able to restart most of its club programme for its athletes aged 12 and above with 70-plus swimmers in the water that first week.

The struggle for the long term financial stability - as with a great number of sports clubs - is very real and until they are in a position to restart the junior club and the swimming lessons they run, the financial burden is potentially unsustainable.

In the meantime, they get back to doing what they know best, they swim, everyday, five to a lane, staggered starts, socially distanced with no access to changing, but they swim and it is a start.

Doing most of their training while the world sleeps it is easy to see why these athletes could be considered a ‘hidden gem’ at the gateway to the Causeway coast. Within its 150 strong membership, Larne Swim team boasts:

Conor Ferguson, current 200 backstroke Irish record holder, Commonwealth Games finalist and multiple medallist at junior level in both European and world level;

Danielle Hill, multiple Irish senior record holder and currently the fastest Irish female in history in water. European semi-finalist and Commonwealth Games finalist, who broke 19 Irish records in 2019;

Ben Woodside an Ulster junior record holder in both 100 and 200 breaststroke.

These three athletes combined with Ellie Falls to break the Ulster record for the 4 x 100 mixed medley record in February.

Having recruited an additional number of national level and above athletes to the senior squad over the summer, the team now has an enviable 26 members targeting Irish Nationals, Europeans and European Juniors as well as the big one, Tokyo 2020 (plus1)

As the club learns to deal with the mew reality of how they now need to train, somethings will never change:

Hard work pays off;

Together everyone achieves more;

Experience and trust in the programme is irreplaceable.

This group of athletes is a team that is proud to represent the town of Larne around the world as they press forwards with their dreams of Olympic qualification in 2021 and beyond.

Contributed by Larne Swimming Club members.

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