Rocky City’s Taryn Roberts finishes with three top 10 placings at Olympic swim trials

Rocky City teenage sensation Taryn Roberts had a meet to remember in Brisbane, impressing all with her ability to back up for two finals on Saturday night. But it was the big box she ticked that pleased her coach the most.

Rocky City's Taryn Roberts will race in the 400m individual medley at the world junior championships in Israel.

Teenager Taryn Roberts has emerged from the Olympic swimming trials with not only some outstanding results but a renewed confidence that she can mix it with Australia’s best.

The 18-year-old claimed three top 10 placings, amazing everyone with her endurance on Saturday night in the last session of the meet at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre.

Just 24 minutes after finishing fifth in the 400m individual medley final, just 0.1 secs outside the Olympic qualifying time, she hit the water in the 1500m freestyle final, in which she finished sixth.

Roberts also came eighth in the 800m freestyle, 13th in the 200m IM and 30th in the 200m breaststroke.

Her Rocky City clubmates Amelie Smith, Kyle Taylor and Saphron Davis also competed at the trials, as did Gladstone South’s Kayden Gibson, with the young guns gaining invaluable experience.

Taryn Roberts strides on to the pool deck for one of the two finals she swam on Saturday night.

Roberts said the trials were a real game-changer for her mentally.

“I’ve gone to Olympic trials, World Cup, Comm Games trials before and I usually panic under pressure,” she said.

“I feel like this is the first ‘big person meet’ where I kept my calm and raced my own races.

“It’s something I’ve been working on - just focusing on myself and knowing I’ve done the work and I’m good enough to be in this swim.

“I feel as I’m getting older I’m getting better at this which is a positive so hopefully one day I can make a team.”

Her coach Shane Kingston said it was great to see his talented charge overcome that hurdle.

“She’s struggled a little bit to transfer her form as an age grouper into the open arena but I think she broke down those walls a little bit last week,” he said.

Rocky City head coach Shane Kingston with swimmer Taryn Roberts.

“The big box - and she ticked it - was for her to go there and start to believe that she belongs in that arena.

“Now she knows she belongs, she can start to believe she can make a team.

“She knows she’s good enough so we can start putting benchmarks in front of her to accomplish that.”

Kingston rated Roberts’ 400m IM as her best swim of the meet but given the short turnaround, said it was hard not to also acknowledge her efforts in the 1500m.

Roberts said she went into both events determined to give her all.

She said when she finished the 400m IM, she had to go straight to the marshalling area to prepare for the 1500m.

Taryn Roberts with her support crew at the Olympic swimming trials in Brisbane.

“When I got to the (400m IM) final, I went in and had a good shot and tried to leave nothing in the tank and went back and did the same for the 1500m,” she said.

“It was pretty good until the last 500 of the 1500m. It was starting to burn but I thought I’ve only got 500m left and then I’m done so I just put my head down as much as I could.”

Mum Kerrie said she was “super proud” of her daughter’s performance, and being pool-side for her marathon effort on Saturday night was incredibly exciting for her, husband Damian and their son Jack.

“Taryn did an awesome job and she can hold her head high, coming home with those kinds of results,” she said.