London

By Jarrod Potter
JOSH BEAVER is only one second away from becoming an Olympian.
Beaver, 18, from Tooradin, swam a 1.59.46 at the Victorian Open Age Championships two weeks ago, representing the Casey TigerSharks, which places him exactly one second off the FINA Olympic A qualifying time for this year’s London Olympic Games.
Beaver finished second to Ashley Delaney, who will be his biggest threat at the Olympic qualifiers in South Australia from 15-22 March.
“Well based off my time on the weekend I’m exactly a second,” Beaver said. “1.0 seconds over.
“I’m really looking forward to swimming some quick times over the next few months.
“200 backstroke I’m just a second off and the 100m backstroke I’m still 1.5 seconds off so I’ve still got a bit of work coming up for that event.”
The only way to make up that second is through hours in the pool preparing for the qualifiers and with a couple of preparation meets coming up.
“Just got the New South Wales championships as a prep-up meet to race against some bigger boys and see how we go against them and then the trials are four weeks on from that,” Beaver said.
Being so close to the peak event in his sport, Beaver is working hard to make sure he gets his chance in London.
“I’d love to go to the Olympics, that’s the ultimate goal,” Beaver said. “You want to do your best to get in there, but I’ve got to put together a perfect race and I’m still a bit away from doing that, but I’ve still got nine weeks to go before the trials.”
Beaver’s coach Ben Hiddlestone said the work effort Beaver is putting in at training is paying off at the right time.
“Josh and training partner Matson (Lawson) are a big chance of making the team this year,” Hiddlestone said.
“Beaver went 1.59.4, so he’s one second off and he came second to Australia’s best backstroker Ashley Delaney.
“Beaver just smashed his personal best times in all his races.”
The small adjustments Beaver has to make to improve his stroke to catch up that second are in the most precise range of specification, but it is what’s required to be an Olympian.
“He’s a master of what he does, but it is little things like .1 of a second quicker rotation on a tumble turn,” Hiddlestone said. “It’s changing the pitch on his hand by two degrees just to give him a little bit more propulsion.
“He’s training as hard as he can, so all we’ve got to do is make tiny changes and not let the occasion get to us.”