Weill makes waves at VIC Championships
Ashley Weill came first in the women's 5km race at the Victorian Open Water Championships held at Williamstown, Melbourne, last month, while Isabella Coghlan won the 15 girls' 5km and 7.5km races at the NSW Open Water Championships held in Penrith.
IF swimming five kilometres in a pool wasn’t hard enough, try doing it in open water.
16-year-old Ashley Weill did just that last month and took out first place in the Women’s five-kilometre Victorian Open Water Championships held at Williamstown, Melbourne.
Weill recorded a time of 1:17:13.00 to blow away not only her under-16 division, but 50 other female competitors ranging in ages from 15 to 22 in her event.
“I do around four to six and half kilometres each session at training… which all adds up,” Weill told The AJN.
“So swimming one five-kilometre race out in the bay feels like nothing after a whole week in the pool.”
The open water race – which involves swimming around a two-and-a half kilometre course – forces competitors to contend with ocean swell, potential sharks and Melbourne’s frigid waters.
While for some, this may sound unnerving, Weill feels right at home.
“For me, if I’m not at the pool, especially in summer, I’m down at the beach swimming,” she said.
“So it’s something I love doing. But, yeah, it can get pretty choppy at times.”
Since competing in her first open water competition three years ago at the age of 13, Weill has been competing in local meets “here and there”, but this year, she has ramped up participating in competitions due to her rise within the sport.
Having already accomplished many of her goals in the sport of swimming – including medalling at the last Maccabiah games – the 16-year-old is hoping her hard work will eventually pay-off, hoping to one day become an Olympian.
“For most people who train the insane amount of hours that I do, the Olympics are the ultimate goal,” Weill said.
After placing first at the Victorian Championships, Weill will now have to decide whether she competes in the National Open Water Titles or remain in the pool, where she can focus more on her swimming.
Meanwhile in Sydney last month, Randwick City Swimming Club representative Isabella Coghlan won two races at the 2017 Swimming NSW Open Water Championships held at the International Regatta Centre in Penrith.
The talented 15-year-old came first out of 18 swimmers in the 15 girls’ 5km race in an excellent time of 1 hour, 4 minutes and 36.7 seconds – more than half a minute ahead of runner-up Ella Tauroa from SOPAC Swimming Club.
Only two swimmers contested the 15 girls’ 7.5km event, which Coghlan won in 1 hour, 39 minutes and 41.8 seconds – almost 6 seconds in front of Carlile Swimming Club’s Isabelle Tran.
JESSE BURNS
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