Rocky City Swimming Club coach Shane Kingston, competitor Taryn Roberts to represent Qld at two major Japanese meets

Rocky City coach Shane Kingston and swimmer Taryn Roberts are preparing to head to Japan. Read all the details here.

Master Rockhampton swim coach Shane Kingstone and one of his teen stars are preparing to fly the flag for Rockhampton in Japan later this year.

Rocky City star Taryn Roberts has been selected in the Queensland swim team which will compete at the Japan Invitational and the Japan Open in Tokyo in late November, early December.

They will be the first international meets for the 16-year-old, who qualified after winning her pet event, the 400m individual medley, and clocking a host of PBs at age nationals.

Kingston will head to the events as one of the team coaches - and the trip will be a first for him as well.

He has never been to Japan before and is excited for what he says will be a great experience.

“That will be a new one for myself as well,” he said.

Rocky City Swimming Club coach Shane Kingston and star performer Taryn Roberts will head to Japan for two meets later this year.

“It’s great being back on a team. I have been selected for a few teams over the last few years but I said no due to family and business reasons.

“It’s good to be able to say yes again and be able to travel away with this team.

“Japanese swimming is very strong so to watch what’s going on over there and bring that back to my program will also be quite beneficial.”

Kingston said as well as the racing side of things, Roberts would use the Invitational to get used to the facilities in Tokyo and as good preparation heading into the Open.

As she does at most of her meets, she will have a demanding schedule at the four-day Open, which starts on December 1.

Teenage swim star Taryn Roberts is preparing for her first international meets - the Japan Invitational and the Japan Open.

Roberts recently returned from the 2022 national schools championships as Queensland Swimmer of the Meet after bagging five gold, two silver and one bronze medal.

Kingston said his young charge’s inclusion in the Queensland open team was outstanding, given she was 15 when she qualified.

“Taryn will get to swim quite a routine. That’s one of the stipulations - they want her to swim very close to her normal program so she will be swimming multiple events,” he said.

“The Open will definitely be a tough meet.

“The event that put her onto the team is the 400 IM. That’s a key event Swimming Queensland will be keen to watch her compete in over there but there’s a couple of other events she’s got that aren’t too far behind that one.

“There are a couple of other young girls in the team as well so it shows the strength of female swimming, not only in Queensland but in Australia at the moment.

“Australian swimming stocks are definitely strong.”