Sportingwales 8

words Sarah Mogford pictures Steve Pope
Swimming in Wales is celebrating one we had a good chance of at least getting a has also played its part, the Olympic silver
of its most successful periods in its medal.” medallist continues, “Uundoubtedly the
history and with the depth of talent ﬁ nancial support and faith that we’ve received
waiting in the wings it is surely set to Disguised by her humility Jazz, as she’s fondly from the Sports Council over the years is now
continue. Sarah Mogford dives in to known to those closest to her, is blessed with starting to pay off, an investment which is
find out more. the steely determination to succeed and from allowing us to focus on creating a world class
an early age it was evident that she was a born crop of swimmers.”
From the World Championship waters in water baby.
Rome emerged the new darling of Welsh So with the Commonwealth Games in Delhi
swimming; 18 year-old Jazmin Carlin. Returning “My dad took me to the local swimming pool on the horizon and London 2012 looming, it’s
to her Swansea-base with not only a bronze at ten months old and I never really got out certainly a case of watch this space when it
medal but with also the fastest ever 200m of the water. I joined a learn to swim club at comes to Welsh swimming.
Welsh swim it’s no surprise that the intensity ﬁ ve and progressed through the ranks before
of what she has just achieved still hasn’t sunk joining the set-up in Swansea at 16.” www.sports-council-wales.org.uk
in.
And with Wales ﬁ elding its highest number of
“I’m over the moon to have come home with a swimmers at this year’s Championships and
medal; it still feels strange to say it!” she says, breaking records left, right and centre along
beaming. the way, it appears she’s in good company.
So is it a stroke of luck that Wales is doing
Merely a spectator 12 months ago, the so well in the pool, or a testament to the
Swindon-born ﬂ yer picked up the pace and investment and focus placed on the sport?
booked herself in to the ﬁ nal with the golden
girl of British swimming, Rebecca Adlington “We’re in a better position in Wales than
and fellow teammates Jo Jackson and Caitlin we ever have been,” explains National
McClatchey. Coaching Coordinator at Swim Wales, Martyn
Woodroffe.
“I’m normally a 400m and 800m swimmer so
improving my speed in the water was vital for “There is a network of quality coaches across
me if I wanted to make the team. I worked Wales who have worked tirelessly with the
really closely with my coach, Bud McAllister, to natural talent we’ve got coming through
get there and I was chuffed to be selected and to create a bubble of potentially really
given the chance to prove myself.” successful swimmers. Combine that with the
organisation of our National Development
“I knew the team was strong in the lead up to Programme and it stands the swimmers in
the Championships but it’s always going to be good stead to reach their best.”
difﬁ cult when competing against experienced
countries. The four of us had trained and Investment to the tune of over
practised hard in the lead up to the race so I £500,000 from the Sports Council for
knew if we gave it our all and swam well then Wales in the past year alone
TALKING ALL
THAT JAZZ!
Brought to you in association with
sportingwales
issue8twothousand&nine
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