Australia’s Chelsea Gubecka To Contest Fifth World Open Water Championships In Budapest
Rio Olympian Chelsea Gubecka will celebrate a decade on the Australian Swim Team in June when she contests her fifth World Open Water Championships in Budapest.
RACE REVIEW: Chelsea Gubecka with coach Rob Van Der Zant. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
Gubecka (Yeronga Park) 10km spearheads a five-strong marathon team featuring new faces Moesha Johnston (Griffith University) 5 and 10km and Finella Gibbs-Beale (Noosa) 5km who will make their Open Water World’s debuts.
While in the men, experienced duo Nick Sloman (Noosa) 5 and 10km and Bailey Armstrong (Belgravia) 10km will be joined by exciting WA rookie Kyle Lee (North Coast) 5km.
Gibbs-Beale, the latest prospect to emerge from the John Rodgers open water stable in Noosa, has the honour of also being named on the Australian Junior Team for the World Junior Open Water Championships in Seychelles in September.
In a non-stop career, 23-year-old Gubecka debuted on the Australian team at just 14, when she contested the 10km marathon in Barcelona in 2013, backing up to finish 13th in the 2015 World’s in Kazan, where she also raced the 25.
It was next stop Rio after finishing fourth in the Olympic qualifier for Rio, in Setabul, Portugal.
The dedicated Sunshine Coaster, now under the expert coaching of fellow Olympian Rob Van Der Zant, also contested both the 10 and 25km in Budapest in 2017 and the 10km in Gwangju in 2019.
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THUMBS UP: A winning double to Moesha Johnson in the 5 and 10km Nationals – now for World’s in Budapest. Photo Courtesy:Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
I’m very grateful to be on this journey…my fifth World Championships Team and to be supported by the very best (people),” said Gubecka, referring to her coaches, family, swim club and sponsors.
“The team selected this year is a great mix of veterans and rookies. I am excited to be part of this team and I truly believe we will have a very successful campaign.”
Johnson, an 800 and 1500m specialist, has extended her career prospects, like so many successful marathon swimmers who combine pool and open water – winning the five kilometre and 10km National titles – as she also plots her pathway to Paris 2024.
Swimming Australia’s High General manager of Performance Support Greg Shaw has praised Gubecka for hanging in there.
“Well done to Chelsea who really took Moesha Johnson out in the 10km National Championships and (also) pushed her out of her comfort zone in the first two laps (to finish second) and secure selection.
“Chelsea has not had a lot of opportunity over the past two years when she lost open water from an opportunity perspective after Kareena Lee qualified for the Olympics in 2019.
“It’s almost three years since she raced internationally in open water and she her and coach Rob Van der Zant have done a great job.
“Chelsea has kept her head down and kept moving forward and it’s great to see her revive herself and get an opportunity to demonstrate what she is capable on the international stage again.”
Shaw knows he also has a live one in Johnson saying that Moesha had put her hands up at Queensland States last year saying ‘I want a piece of t
PUMPED: Noosa’s Nick Sloman pumped up for Budapest. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr.
his.’
“She is in good hands with Michael Bohl and Janelle Elford (one of four coaches named on the team) and of course Michael coached multiple open water champions like, Brendan Capell, Josh Santacaterina and Trudee Stafford (Hutchinson).
“He was their coach when they were putting down world championships in 25km; Bohly is an experienced coach and has had major influence across a broad spectrum of events and distances.
“Moesha is in the Swimming Australia HUB program at Southport and it’s good to see her excited about opportunities to challenge herself against seasoned competitors.”
Sloman, who again asserted his authority as the man to beat on a competitive domestic scene – added another 10km National crown in 1:49.58.22 with Armstrong (1:50.05.95) and Lee (1:50.06.83) to insure he was on the team again.
Sloman has been a dominant force in Australia’s open water ranks alongside Edwards and Armstrong – who all fought hard for Australia’s only Olympic berth last year.
And it was obvious that 25-year-old Sloman, 23-year-old Armstrong and 20-year-old Lee also have their sights on 2024 in a big way.
Sloman also added the 5km title to his long list of National crowns, winning the 5km in 53:58.69 and defeating Lee(54:13.35) who reversed the 10km minor placings in a nail-biter from Armstrong (54:13.46) – with the top two qualifying for a swim in Budapest.
“Nick’s certainly accomplished domestically and is starting to get some good international results as well and the Olympic selection is the big one for him and he and (coach) John Rodgers are plotting and planning for 2024 and that’s exciting to see what they are capable of as a unit.
FLUID MOTION: WA’s Kyle Lee, an open water mover and shaker. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
“The Noosa group is really starting to earn that open water respect from a world perspective and now with the emergence of Finella Gibbs-Beal who won the 18 years 5 (50.30.79) and 10km (2:03.58) double it’s a very exciting group indeed.
“You know you are doing stuff under one of the best endurance swim coaches Australia has ever produced in JR.”
Rodgers, the reigning Australian Open Water Coach of the Year, will also provide support to the team of coaches and athletes as a non-travelling Team Coach.
Swimming Australia’s State Technical Lead WA, Mel Tantrum, has been appointed Head Coach of the team and will be supported by Team Coaches Harley Connolly (Belgravia) and Van der Zant and Pallister.
Australian Dolphins Open Water Team, 2022 FINA World Championships, Budapest
WOMEN:
Moesha Johnston – Griffith University (Queensland)
Chelsea Gubecka – Yeronga Park (Queensland)
Finella Gibbs-Beale – Noosa (Queensland)
MEN:
Nicholas Sloman – Noosa (Queensland)
Bailey Armstrong – Belgravia (Queensland)
Kyle Lee – North Coast (Western Australia)
COACHES:
Mel Tantrum – Swimming Australia State Technical Lead/Head Coach WA (Western Australia)
Janelle Pallister – Griffith University (Queensland)
Harley Connolly – Belgravia (Queensland)
Robert Van der Zant – Yeronga Park (Queensland)
John Rodgers – Noosa (Queensland)
Australia Names Eight-Strong Team For World Junior Open Water
Noosa Junior Finella Gibbs-Beale will spearhead Australia’s eight-strong Junior Dolphins team selected to represent Australia at the World Junior Open Water Championships in Seychelles in September.
Piper Sanderson, Abbey Connor, Jasmine Raward, Robert Thorpe, Caleb Dryer, Kai Robertson and Clancy Luscombe will joined by Gibbs-Beale, who will contest the Open Water World Championships in Hungary in June.
The Australian World Junior team was selected following performances at the Australian Open Water Championships at Adelaide’s Brighton Beach in January.
Shaw said the Junior Dolphins team highlighted the richly talented junior pathway in Australian Open Water swimming.
“It’s an honour to represent your country and I am excited to see what this group is capable of delivering when they are provided the opportunity to race internationally,” Shaw said.
“We look forward to finally seeing what our best junior talent is capable of against strong international representation, given the competition hiatus enforced by COVID.”
“The chance to travel to Seychelles and race other international competitors is a key development opportunity for these swimmers on their path to the Los Angeles and Brisbane Olympics, and it’s one I’m sure they will relish.”
The Junior Dolphins will be led by a trio of coaches for the meet including Harley Connolly, Maxine Seear and Alex Clarke.
Australian Dolphins Team, 2022 Australian World Junior Open Water Championships, September 1 – 4 in Beau Vallon, Seychelles.
WOMEN:
Finella Gibbs-Beal – Noosa (Queensland)
Piper Sanderson – Belgravia (Queensland)
Abbey Connor – Revesby Workers (New South Wales)
Jasmine Rayward– TSS Aquatics (Queensland)
MEN:
Robert Thorpe – St Peters Western (Queensland)
Caleb Dryer – Trinity Grammar (New South Wales)
Kai Robertson – Revesby Workers (New South Wales)
Clancy Luscombe – Marion (South Australia)
COACHES:
Harley Connolly – Belgravia (Queensland)
Maxine Seear – St Peters Western (Queensland)
Alex Clarke – Revesby Workers (New South Wales)