Toohey's Sub 1:06 Raises Hope Of Brighter Times For Dolphin Breaststroke
Shocked by the clock, Sienna Toohey says: “The 1:05! You know, this time last year I broke 1:07 for the first time. And, you know, that was a second faster than that so I'm just really happy with it." She has a lot more to say, too... like this:
Sienna Toohey is now 17 - and gathering momentum, The clock stopped at 1:05.97, a best by half a second, keeping alive Dolphin hopes of being competitive with the extremely competitive USA hosts in the women's medley relay come LA2028. Next stepping stones, Commonwealths, and a race against a sub-1:05 Angharad Evans at a home Games for Scotland in Glasgow, and then Pan Pacific rivals beyond that.
In Other Action, Day 2 - Australian Swimming Trials:
Nicole Jeffery
Coached in her hometown at the Albury Swim Club by Wayne Gould, and now also coached in Canberra at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) under head coach Shannon Rollason, Toohey made her first senior Australian team. This means she will no longer go to Junior Pan Pacs.
She has come so far, so fast, that she barely remembers the 2022 Commonwealth Games, because she wasn’t serious about swimming then. Toohey now moves to No.3 on the Australian all-time list behind Leisel Jones and Sarah Katsoulis (1:05.86, in 2009).
Craig Lord
Toohey is asked why she looked so shocked at the end of the race.
“The 1:05! You know, this time last year I broke 1:07 for the first time. And, you know, that was a second faster than that so I'm just really happy with it."
Asked about dividing her time between Albury and Canberra, she said:
“I've been mainly spending it in Canberra. Since, I would say, about four weeks out from nationals, we got an apartment in Canberra, me and my brother and my Mum, so we’ve we've been living there, so I've been home for probably 10 weeks almost now."
So you’ve been working full-time with Shannon Rollason since then?
“Yeah, but it's worth it. Shannon's an amazing coach and I wouldn't have half the knowledge that I have without Shannon."
And how is school fitting into all that?
"I'm still at Albury High School (Year 11). My teachers are very supportive of my sport. They do little booklets and packets for me, and send them up with my Dad when he comes to visit me. So I'm basically, I'm doing school the same with everybody else, I just doing it from home."
You’ve now qualified for the Commonwealth Games team, what are your memories of the Commonwealth Games? What does it mean to you?
“I don't remember the last one a lot, but I remember watching Chelsea Hodges win a medal. I remember that. But I don't think at that point I wasn't really that deep in swimming. I was probably 12-13. I wasn't really that deep in swimming at that point, but... Yeah, I remember watching Chelsea swim the 50 breaststroke and win that one."
This is all happening very fast, isn't it?
“Yeah. So, our initial plan was Commonwealth Games for my first team. And then when I almost made the team for Paris, everything kind of got fast tracked. I think that was a PB by about almost half a 2nd in the final tonight."
Why can you put that acceleration of your times down to?
“Purely one thing, and that was my turns, and my start. I struggle a lot with my turns, like racing against girls that are double my size and double my age. I definitely have always struggled with just the strength aspects of it. But these last, probably six weeks, I've been doing extra work with Dave, our biomechanic, and really just working on that turn, and that's where all the PBs have come from. It's my turn and my start."
You turned in 30.5. How was that second lap off a 30.5?
“I think, from the turn, I just had my momentum, and I just kept going... And I saw Ella kind of catching up to me a little bit, just to my rib and I was, I’ve gotta keep going. My legs were burning, but I wasn't going to give up."
So in terms of that and going to an event like the Commonwealth Games, how do you adjust your expectation now?
“I think making it through this week I've got two more races left, one tomorrow, my 50 breaststroke, which is my fun one that I really love to do. But I think going to Comm Games, for me, everything's just about getting as much experience as I can. Being so young, I'm looking to LA Olympics, so it's just trying to get the most experience as I can before then."
Sienna Toohey - by Delly Carr, courtesy of Swimming Australia
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