MADDY Gough has realised her Olympic dream with the former Sawtell Swimming Club member qualifying for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics.

The 22-year-old booked her ticket to Tokyo and a spot on the Australian Swimming team after breaking the Australian record for the Women’s 1500m freestyle at last week’s Australian Swimming Trials in Adelaide.

Gough still holds the Sawtell Swimming Club records for the 15-year-old girls 100m butterfly and 400 metre freestyle, and the 16-year-old girls 400 metre freestyle that she set before moving to the TSS Aquatic in Southport to further her swimming career.

Sawtell Swimming Club board member Paul Stevens said club members couldn’t wait to watch a former club member compete on the biggest stage in world sport.

“All our members will be excited to watch Maddy represent Australia in Tokyo and it will be inspiring for our young swimmers knowing that one of our former members is now an Australian record holder and Olympian,” he said.

Stevens said the star swimmer moved to Queensland to pursue her swimming dream.

“She used to swim and train at the club before moving to the Gold Coast in 2015 as her parents saw her potential,” he said.

Stevens told News Of The Area there was a sense of excitement at the club as one of their own would compete at an Olympic Games.

“It’s pretty exciting and there is a buzz at the club because she’s come from a small club,” he said.

Tim Raven coached the new Olympian at Sawtell Swimming Club before she moved to the Gold Coast, and told News Of The Area that it was no surprise she had qualified for Tokyo.

“I definitely knew she was capable, and she has found her niche as she was always good at the shorter distances but she proved she was exceptional in the 800m and 1500m,” he said.

“She’s such a good kid and really good to coach and easy going, and she had that natural ability as she just glides through the water.

“She’s worked really hard as she swims 50 to 60km a week even when the national trials were on.”

Georgina Mallia’s son Luke used to swim with Gough as a junior, and said she could always see the potential his fellow squad member had.

“She was always so dedicated to swimming and very quiet and humble, and she always did seem to have the potential to make an event like the Olympics.”

Gough has previously represented Australia at swimming making her debut at the Pan Pacific Championships in Tokyo in 2018, where she placed 6th in the Women’s 1500m freestyle, 4th in the Women’s 400m freestyle, and 7th in the Women’s 800m freestyle.

She then represented Australia at the World Championships in South Korea in 2019 where she placed 5th in the Women’s 1500m freestyle.

 

By Aiden BURGESS