Gold Coast Commonwealth Games 2018: Nation’s best swimmers head to Brisbane for camp

THE country’s best swimmers descend on Queensland’s capital this weekend to head into Commonwealth Games camp – and Cate and Bronte Campbell say expect a few surprises on the podium on the Gold Coast this year.

• Wenden’s Games glory
• Terminator: I’ll be back ... at school
• McKeon’s keen for fly double
• Games trials races for man, 99

CHAMPION swimmers Cate and Bronte Campbell admit there could be a few surprise winners in the pool at this year’s Commonwealth Games.

It comes as the country’s best swimmers will descend on Brisbane this weekend to gear up for camp.

The likes of the Campbell sisters, Emily Seebohm, Mitch Larkin and Cam McEvoy make up the 70-strong Australian swimming contingent who will be staying in Brisbane from Sunday before entering the Games’ athletes’ village the following weekend.

Emily Seebohm after getting a makeover at Nak Hair in Brisbane. Picture: Peter Wallis

The athletes will stay in Brisbane next week to bond, train and make final preparations before the Commonwealth Games begin on April 4.

Bronte Campbell said a lot of the new faces looked set to make a splash as household swimming names.

“It’s nice to have some new faces that bring fresh energy to the team and not just old hands at it,” she said.

“I think there will be a lot of good swimming, a lot of unpredictable swimming and I think there’ll be a lot of people who will come out and surprise us.”

With just five weeks on from the Australian swimming trials on the Gold Coast, the quick turnaround is uncharted territory for many of the champion swimmers.

Swimming sisters Cate and Bronte Campbell can’t wait to dive into the pool at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. Picture: Peter Wallis

The Campbell sisters said they normally spent three months between trials and international events but were excited about how it would play out.

“It’s new for everyone having this five week turnaround,” Bronte said.

“I think it’ll be really interesting to see what sort of results it will yield. It makes me really excited because you’ve just finished up competing and you’ve only got a small chance to refine things and improve your skills and then you do it all over again. I’m actually really looking forward to it.”

Her sister Cate – who took a year off swimming last year – said it was good heading into the Games with positive momentum.

“It’s great to go in knowing that you’ve been in really good form only a month earlier so it’s definitely a good confidence booster and means less opportunity to injure yourself or get tried or sick,” she said.

Originally published as Gold Coast Commonwealth Games 2018: Nation’s best swimmers head to Brisbane for camp