Buoyed by pool extension date

Swimmers will be able to train at the public pool up until their state and national titles after confirmation the pool will stay open past its usual closure.

LONGER LIFE: Coach Gail Smail with champion swimmers Aliesha Rogers and Ben Armbruster. Picture: Matthew Purcell

BUDDING champion swimmers will be able to train at Stanthorpe's public pool up until their state and national titles next month after confirmation the pool will stay open past its usual closure date of March 31.

Stanthorpe swimming pool is the envy of the broader region, with swimmers travelling from as far as Tenterfield to train at the eight-lane, 50m heated pool under the guidance of celebrated local coach Gail Smail.

Concerns that the pool closure at the end of March would leave the region's budding champions without a place to train prompted the Southern Downs Regional Council to rethink this year's summer season hours.

Two of the pool's squad members have qualified for the Australian Age Swimming Championships in Adelaide on April 9, while 13 swimmers have qualified for both Queensland and New South Wales state titles.

The summer season was due to end on March 31, but the pool will now remain open until Tuesday, 9 April 2019, allowing the squad to continue to train in the lead-up to the competitions, a statement from Southern Downs Regional Council said.

Tenterfield resident Leeza Wishart's 16-year-old daughter Ella travels to Stanthorpe to train at the swimming pool five days a week after school, and is delighted the pool is extending its summer season.

Ella travels two hours a day, five days a week, to access Stanthorpe's 50m pool and its coach, who has 30 years' experience and has trained a number of high performing swimmers.

She says kids from regional Queensland competing at the state and national levels are at a disadvantage to their metropolitan peers, who have access to 50m pools 24 hours, seven days of the week.

"Those kids can effectively train 12 months of the year, they can train twice a day if they want to,” she said.

She said it was nothing short of extraordinary that some of Mrs Smail's students, including Ben Armbruster, are able to consistently place highly in the state and national championships.

"To make that standard with a pool that's only open six months of the year is just a testimony to how good a coach Gail Smail is, honestly,” she said.

"To put it in context, there's these city kids who are training constantly, and he [Ben] beats them.”

Mrs Wishart said Southern Downs Mayor Tracy Dobie should be congratulated. "We're very grateful for that opportunity, because otherwise our kids would have to drive to Warwick,” she said.

Councillor for Events, Sports, Parks and Recreation, Yve Stocks said pool manager Michael Smail and Mrs Smail should be congratulated on a stellar season, and wished swimmers luck.

The pool will be open from Monday, April 1 to Tuesday, April 9. The opening hours will be 6am to 9am and 3.30pm to 6pm.