Tags:

Play topics

Play articles

Olympic swimmer disappointed, not discouraged

Annabelle CareyAt the beginning of April Olympic swimming trials were held at the West Wave Aquatic Centre in Auckland. Christchurch's Annabelle Carey 19, travelled with eight other swimmers and her coach Alistair Johnson for a shot at inclusion in the New Zealand Olympic team.

Carey, who swims for the Aquagym club, competed in the 100m breaststroke. She swam a fast heat – 1.10.3 - and qualified as first seed for the final.

The final was disastrous, she says.
“My goggles came off. They just fell down and fell round my neck. I still came second, but I went slower.”

“I was a bit gutted,” she says, and admits to using a few colourful words under the water line.

A couple of weeks after the event, she is over it.
“Yeah, there’s not much I can do about it, just learn from it. I went out and bought some goggles the next day.”

Zoe Baker won the heat, which was Carey’s main shot at going to the Olympics. Her other hope, the 4 x 100m relay team, was dashed when Swimming New Zealand opted to not enter a relay team.

Carey says the Olympic qualifying meet was “pretty cool”.

“If you knew someone was on track to qualify, the whole centre was up and cheering for them. Quite a few national records were broken.”

Oceania champs in June

Career highlights

  • Annabelle currently holds two New Zealand Open Women’s records and 17 New Zealand Age Group records (13–18).
    For Canterbury she holds four Open Women’s records and 23 Canterbury West Coast Age Group records (12–17).
  • In 2007 she was ranked No. 3 in the world (Female under 19) for 100m breaststroke and also won gold in 50m and 100m breatstroke at the NZ Open Championships.
  • In 2004 Annabelle Carey was the youngest member of the New Zealand Olympic team to Athens, aged 15.

Despite her disappointment, Carey has jumped straight back into the pool. She swims ten two-hour sessions each week plus “three or four dryland sessions a week – running and things like that”. That’s on top of her other commitments.

“I’m at uni and I work as well. I’m studying part-time – two papers – and I work very part-time as a swim teacher at Wharenui.”

Next on her competitive calendar is the Oceania championships, to be held in Christchurch in early June.

“I’ll be doing the 50m, 100 and 200m breaststroke. Then I have a two-month break.”

She jokes that her coach “trains her into the ground”, but says he also improves her technique and speed. “He makes sure I’m mentally good at racing.”

Diet is also important. “I wouldn’t go out and have a block of chocolate or anything, and I definitely don’t go out drinking each weekend, but it’s not too bad. I had McDonald's last night - I swim so I can eat.”

Interview: April 2008