Published: Thursday, 15th May, 2008 12:35
Dalgety Bay swimmer looks forward to Belgrade Euro championships
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SIX years on from taking her first ever strokes, Dalgety Bay swimmer Eloise Barber is just weeks away from competing in a GB strip for the first time.
This week the Carnegie Swimming Club 15-year-old was confirmed as a member of the British team bound for the European Junior Swimming Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.
“This is my first GB selection and it feels pretty good,” said Barber.
“I had to make a qualification time at the British and Olympic trials in Sheffield this March and also had to make the top four of my age group.
“In the 200 metres individual medley I swam 2:20.89 (more than seven seconds faster than her time a year ago), which was inside the time and I came fourth in the race. I’m going as a reserve for the 4x100 freestyle relay as well.”
In being selected for the European Championships, Barber follows in the wake of Dunfermline’s Andrew Rodgie, who competed at the championships in 2006.
Carnegie coach Gilbert Kirkwood has helped develop the talents of both Barber and Rodgie in recent years.
“Eloise’s individual strokes are all excellent and she doesn’t have a weakness,” he said, “so we are concentrating on the 200 individual medley now and will aim at the 400 individual medley as she gets older.
“She has made huge improvements in the last year. Part of it is down to her maturing a lot and we’ve also upped her training.
"We’re doing a lot more work in the pool and the Tayside and Fife Institute of Sport has helped with strength and conditioning training and by providing a psychologist.
“With the Tayside and Fife Institute there’s a whole team behind a swimmer.
“Everybody specialises in their own area and we all pull together. We all sit down together and discuss what we need to do to go forward. It’s a real team effort.”
Impressive as they are, the European Championships may not be the high point of Barber’s 2008 season.
In October, Pune in India hosts the Youth Commonwealth Games and Scotland will be sending up to 10 of its best junior swimmers.
“The qualification time for the Commonwealth Youth Games is 2:20.72 so with my time of 2:20.89 at the British trials I’m just off it,” said Barber.
“I have two chances to achieve a qualifying time, in the European Championships and the Scottish Open.”
Having the opportunity to compete in these major events has obviously inspired an already highly-motivated athlete.
“Getting closer to that European time has given her the ambition to go forwards,” said coach Kirkwood.
“She is only a fraction off the Youth Commonwealth Games time so that is a goal as well. She has a lot of incentive and she is really working well in training.”
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