Young swimming star Noah O’Donnell has been in top form over the holiday period.
The Western Aquatic Academy representative backed up from his strong showing at the Pacific School Games to produce some eye-catching performances at the Victorian Age Championships.
O’Donnell, from Taylors Hill, has a swag of medals to show for his hard work, collecting medals in six of his seven events at the state age competition, including gold in the 200-metre individual medley, silver in the 100m backstroke and 200m butterfly and bronze in the 200m freestyle, 100m butterfly and 200m backstroke.
Western Aquatic squad director Paul Taylor was adamant that O’Donnell would have even more gold medals had it not been for a tiring December swimming schedule.
“Noah did some massive PBs [at the Pacific School Games] and did quite well, but it can be hard to stay up for such a long period of time,” Taylor said.
“Some of the swims he did at the Pacific School Games, if he had replicated them, he would’ve got even more golds at the Victorian state championships.
“It was still an awesome effort to get medals in six out of seven events.”
It was not O’Donnell’s only success in the water over the holidays. The 11-year-old competed in an open water swim at Williamstown and took out the 750 metre event.
Western Aquatic president Vince Taylor said O’Donnell’s success was the result of hard work.
“He’s doing about seven sessions a week,” Taylor said.
“That, as an 11 year old, shows that he’s pretty committed to getting the best out of himself.
“That’s what they have to do to continue to get better.”
O’Donnell’s best placing at the Pacific School Games was second in the 100m butterfly final.
He also finished on the podium with a bronze medal in the 200m individual medley.
Altona Swimming Club young gun Charlie Lockley also continues to make waves. Lockley came away with gold medals in the 14-year-old 100m and 200m breaststroke at the Victorian Age Championships.
The talented Lockley has even bigger ambitions in 2018.
“In the 200m breastroke, he’s the Victorian record holder, he achieved that at the Pacific School Games,” Taylor said.
“No one in Victorian history has ever gone as fast as Charlie at 14 years old in the 200m breaststroke.
“He got a second and a third at the Australian Age Championships last year, so we’re hoping to really do well at this year’s Australian champs.
“If he swims like he did at the Pacific School Games, he will get close to taking out the national championship in April.”
Western Aquatic is a newly formed academy that operates out of Aqua Pulse in Hoppers Crossing and the Maribyrnong Aquatic Centre.
