Elizabeth Dekkers of Newmarket Racers Swim Club is a contender for the Tokyo Olympic Games

While many athletes cursed the 12 month delay in the Tokyo Olympic Games due to the COVID-19 crisis, meet the teenage swimmer who will actually benefit from the delay. She is Year 11 All Hallows student Elizabeth Dekkers from Newmarket Racers.

Andrew Dawson will present a series on potential Tokyo Olympic Games athletes who the general public have never heard of, but who could be make the team for the 2020 Games - to be held in 2021.

While many athletes cursed the 12 month delay in the Tokyo Olympic Games caused by the COVID-19 crisis, meet the teenage swimmer who will actually benefit from the delay.

She is Year 11 All Hallows’ School student Elizabeth Dekkers from Newmarket Racers.

The a quietly spoken Dekkers prefers to let her swimming do the talking and her strokes are certainly making plenty of noise after she swam herself into Games selection.

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The 15-year-old from the Newmarket Racers Club was the swimmer of the meet at the state titles late last year when her 200m butterfly (2:08.51.) swamped previous records.

Elizabeth Dekkers from the Newmarket Racers.

Dekkers, who carved an extraordinary two seconds off her previous best time, broke the Australian 15 years record, the Queensland 15 years record and the Queensland all-comers 15 years record.

The 10-year-old record was previously held by Olympian Maddie Groves who, ironically will challenge Dekkers for a butterfly berth at next year’s Olympics.

Dekkers’ coach Steve Miller said his young butterfly exponent did exactly what was asked of her in training leading up to her break through 200m effort, and as a result “took a chunk off and put herself right up there’’.

And he says the 12 month delay in the Olympics would actually help Dekkers.

In one year Dekkers will be stronger, race hardened and generally more advanced by the time the Games’ trials come around in 2021.

“In the last 12 months she improved so much and got a world recognised time which put her in the frame and she will only get better from there,’’ Miller said.

Dekkers said touching and turning to see her time under 2:10.00 was satisfying because she had been working hard to get to that mark. “And to do it by a lot,’’ she said.

Elizabeth Dekkers from Newmarket Racers. (AAP Image/Richard Walker)

Dekkers’ stunning Australian record comes after representing Australia at the world junior championships last August.

The baby of the squad, Dekkers gained valuable international race experience when she started in the 200m butterfly final, finishing fifth.

“It was actually fun because there was no pressure on me,’’ Dekkers recalled. “It was really just a great experience.’’

Newmarket Racers swim club pair Elizabeth Dekkers and Georgia Powell, who both attend All Hallows' School, made the 2019 Australian junior swim team for the world junior championships.

Her Racers’ club mate and fellow All Hallows’ School product, Georgia Powell, also represented Australia at the world juniors while coach Miller was on the coaching staff, making it a huge international meet for the Racers’ organisation.

DEKKERS, BRONTE JOB STAR IN ALL HALLOWS’ SCHOOL SWIM WIN

Dekkers, who initially learnt to swim at the Everton Park Shapland Swimming School, said it was helpful to have both Powell and Miller on the team with her.

Dekkers was all eyes and ears during the campaign, watching intently to see how everyone else trained and who was saying what.

The outstanding All Hallows' relay team of Elizabeth Dekkers, Bronte Job, Joesphine Crimmins and Piper Brien at the CaSSSA swimming carnival earlier in the year.

“We got to do lots of different sessions in the lead-up and it was good to see how other people prepare for races,’’ Dekkers said.

Asked about the prospect of being an Olympian, Dekkers’ was low-key.

“I don’t really try and think too much about it. I am just working toward making the junior team again and from there, we will just see how we go,’’ she said.

Elizabeth Dekkers from the Newmarket Racers.

“I am working toward seeing how much I can work off that PB (200m butterfly) and from there hopefully make the (Australian) junior team again and going to the Olympic trials and just seeing.’’

Dekkers’ road ahead will be the state titles in December, the age nationals in 2021, the nationals and then the Olympic trials in the weeks leading up to the Toyko Games.