Is this young super fish our next Comm Games prospect?
Coach sees 'a lot of similarities' between rising star and Aussie swimmer Alanna Bowles
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SWIMMING: Watching young star Taryn Roberts go about her business in the pool, Rocky City Swim Club coach Shane Kingston feels a keen sense of déjà vu.
He can see plenty of similarities between the 13-year-old and her predecessor - and one of his greatest success stories - Alanna Bowles.
Bowles represented Australia at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the Pan Pacific Games the same year.
Roberts is blazing her own trail and making an impression each time she races.
Kingston said Roberts and Bowles were both "very determined ladies” who were always looking to improve.
"There is a likeness there and in the training pool there are a lot of similarities,” he said.
READ: CQ teen swims into record books at state championships
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"Taryn is showing a lot of potential and she's keen, which is the big thing.
"She's enthusiastic to learn and work hard. That's obviously key in all walks of life but in a sport where your results relate directly to the work that you do it's very important.
"There's a lot of training laps to do and a lot of growing to do but Taryn's tracking very well in comparison to Alanna in a few events.
"I can show her Alanna's log books and we can, in effect, almost train beside her. We can know exactly what she was doing and if we can beat her.”
Roberts' most recent success came at the national schools championships in Melbourne.
She smashed three national records on her way to gold in the 100m and 200m breaststroke and the 400m individual medley, and was named Queensland's Swimmer of the Meet in the 13-19 years age group.
Fellow Rocky City members and primary school swimmers Lachlan Kuss, 12, and Amelie Smith, 10, also competed at the championships.
Kuss won bronze in the 100m butterfly and the relay and was fourth in the 50m butterfly.
Smith, who was competing for the first time at nationals, came fourth in the 100m breaststroke.
Kingston said Kuss and Smith were very impressive.
"Lachlan did two fantastic PBs against some much bigger opposition, and swam a great race in the 100m butterfly to get the bronze.
"His progression is really encouraging, and again we are able to use previous records to compare just how he is tracking.
"Amelie hadn't been exposed to heats and finals situation before and she did a great job in the heats.
"She backed the same time up in the final to finish fourth and to do that in her first time competing at that level was great.”
Kingston said Roberts' performance was fantastic, given she was competing against swimmers a year older.
"I was quietly confident that she'd come away with medals and I was hoping to use the older girls for some good racing and to get some good times out.
"I definitely didn't think she would go that fast and break those records.”
Roberts said her performance at nationals was one of her best and shaving three seconds off the 400m IM record was pretty special.
"I'd looked at the records but I wasn't expecting to get them so when I did I was pretty proud of myself.
"It's really good to see what you can achieve when you train hard.”
Originally published as Is this young super fish our next Comm Games prospect?
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