St Peters Western look to develop Michael Pickett beyond being a 50m freestyle speed merchant

St Peters Western head coach Dean Boxall said the organisation was looking to develop Michael Pickett beyond being a 50m freestyle speed merchant.

Michael Pickett will be competing at the Youth Olympics for New Zealand.

St Peters Western head coach Dean Boxall said the organisation was looking to develop Michael Pickett beyond being a 50m freestyle speed merchant.

Pickett, 15, who attends St Peters Luthern College, is in the final stages of preparing to represent his native New Zealand at the Youth Olympics starting this weekend in Argentina.

Earlier this year Pickett beat Kyle Chalmers’ 50m record for his age group.

Michael Pickett beat a record of Kyle Chalmers (pictured). Delly Carr / Swimming Australia Ltd.

Then in August at the Junior Pan Pacs in Fiji, Pickett scorched to a bronze medal in the men’s 50m freestyle A final in a personal best time of 22.86 seconds.

Pickett’s time also lowered the New Zealand 16 years national age group record.

Boxall said New Zealander Pickett, coached by his colleague John Gatfield, had “unbelievable speed’’.

St Peters Western swimming coach Dean Boxall. Pic Mark Cranitch.

But Boxall said the aim was to ensure Pickett was not shoe-horned as a 50m sprinter.

“He can’t be a one trick pony. He has to be able to do 100m,’’ Boxall said.

“What he does, he does very well, but if he wants to position himself highly ranked on the world scene, he has to be able to develop that 100m.’’

Fellow St Peters student and St Peters Western swimmer Michaela Ryan will also attend the Youth Olympics representing Australia.

Want news items from your Brisbane suburb emailed to your inbox? Click the link for our new reader service, and the chance to win one of 25 $100 supermarket vouchers: http://bit.ly/QuestENews