Adelaide set to host national swimming championships including 2020 Tokyo Olympic trials

ADELAIDE is in the box seat to secure the national swimming championships for the next three years which would include the 2020 Tokyo Olympic trials.

Kyle Chalmers prepares for his 100 metre freestyle final last week. Picture: SARAH REED

ADELAIDE is in the box seat to secure the national swimming championships for the next three years which would include the 2020 Tokyo Olympic trials.

In a major coup for the city, it’s understood the State Government has widespread support for its bid as part of a Swimming Australia tender process that will be finalised in a month.

With Swimming Australia moving its Olympic trials from the traditional March/April period to just five weeks before the Games in 2020, it means the nation’s best swimmers will compete in Adelaide with interest in the sport at fever pitch.

It would be an added bonus for Rio Olympic gold medallist Kyle Chalmers who would also get to compete in his home pool for a ticket to Tokyo alongside fellow SASI athletes Travis Mahoney, Andrew Abood and Josh Palmer.

Swimming Australia would not comment on speculation yesterday but said a decision would be made once the tender process was complete in late November.

The next championships will be held on the Gold Coast from February 28 to March 3 and will double as selection trials for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

The next major event after that will be the Pan Pac trials in July, 2018, which Adelaide is also in the running to host.

Kyle Chalmers at the national short course swimming championships at the SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre last week. Picture: Sarah Reed

It comes after Adelaide hosted a successful national short course swimming championships at the SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre last week and then the Swimming Australia gala awards at the Exhibition Centre on Sunday night.

Swimming Australia head coach Jacco Verhaeren told The Advertiser that athletes and coaches loved the $100m facility at Marion.

“It’s always great, a lot of athletes love to race here, it’s a fast pool but obviously you need fast swimmers to make it a fast pool,” Verhaeren said.

“But we love coming here and the guys bought into the competition.”

Adelaide is fast becoming a key part of the Australian swimming scene having also hosted the Olympic trials before London in 2012 and Rio last year.

Adelaide also hosted the 2017 Australian open water championships in January and they will return to Brighton beach next year from January 26-28.

Mahoney, who earlier this year moved from Melbourne to Adelaide to train under coach Peter Bishop, on the weekend said SA could become a centre of excellence for the sport in Australia.

“Moving here and training with these guys has been really good,” he said.

“It’s a great pool and it is without doubt, I believe, the best facility in Australia.

“I think it’s a great place to come and train. I trialled a bunch of different places and this is definitely the place for me.”

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Originally published as Adelaide set to host national swimming championships including 2020 Tokyo Olympic trials