Craig Watson’s exceptional work ethic and attitude at training has seen him rack up an array of impressive accolades in the pool over the past year.By Marc McGowan
BERWICK rising star Craig Watson is in the midst of a stunning 12 months that have him regarded as the best prospect within the quality Casey Tiger Sharks swimming program.
Watson receives stiff competition for the mantle from fellow 14-year-old and good friend Trent Lindsey, but his accomplishments at the Victorian Short Course Open Championships on the weekend have given him the advantage.
The year nine Berwick Secondary College student racked up two top-10 finishes: ninth in the 200-metre backstroke – eighth among Victorians – and ninth in the 400m individual medley.
“I’m pretty happy. The 200m backstroke was probably my best race and I probably swam a quicker time than I expected,” Watson said.
“I sprained my ankle on Friday and I was still a bit sore, so I was not really expecting to do a two-second PB (personal best).”
The talented teenager also recorded top-20 placings in the 50m and 100m backstroke and the 100m individual medley.
It was in the latter event that Watson set a state record for 13-year-olds at last year’s Victorian Short Course Age Championships, and he plans on inflicting the same sort of damage at the 2007 competition next month.
“At states, I’ll be looking to get some more state records to put my name in the books and I just want to keep improving my times,” he said.
Watson’s goals are certainly not beyond the realms of possibility after stellar performances at the Victorian and Australian Long Course Age Championships last season.
He was the age champion for 14-year-olds at the state competition and became the Tiger Sharks’ first national finalist on day one of the national event.
“(Winning age champion) was pretty good, but I only beat Trent by four points and between us we basically scored three-quarters of the points for the club,” Watson said.
“You definitely don’t get anywhere if you don’t have anyone to train with, and having people the same age and same level really helps.”
Casey head coach Ben Hiddlestone is a huge rap for Watson, and in particular his work-ethic.
“Craig’s one who has been doing nine sessions a week consistently for the last six months … and is just getting taller by the day, too,” Hiddlestone said.
Watson’s magnificent effort to make three finals at the Australian Long Course Age Championships in April also saw him selected in the elite Target 2010 Development Squad, which involves those considered to be in calculations for that year’s Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
“The last year after nationals I was in the squad below, so it is good to just move up another squad and to have made that step,” he said.
“I do feel like I’m a better swimmer.”
As part of the squad, Watson will join fellow invitee Lindsey in competing at the New South Wales Short Course Age Championships from 17 to 19 August before heading back home for the Australian Short Course Open Championships just weeks later.
“At the (NSW) state age, I’m hoping to bring home some golds, but the nationals are to get experience and I’m not looking for placings,” Watson said.
“I’ll be looking to see what it’s like up there with the bigger guns and the next big one really for me is the (Victorian) state age in just over a month and I’m hoping to dominate in that like I did last year.”
