Throssell Shines in World Championship Final
One small step at the FINA World Championships in Kazan is one giant leap towards Rio for 19-year-old WAIS scholarship holder Brianna Throssell, who finished fourth in the women’s 200m Butterfly final in Russia.
The reigning Swimming WA – Swimmer of the Year was competing against the likes of Japan’s Natsumi Hoshi, USA’s Cammile Adams and Yufei Zhang from China and finished in an impressive time of 2:06.78, just 0.27 shy of a medal and only 0.18 off her own personal best time.
The City of Perth club-member and University of Notre Dame student said her first major meet experience had been amazing and would drive her motivation to qualify for Rio.
“It’s been absolutely amazing, the crowd here is incredible and the support from my teammates and support staff has just been overwhelming.”
“I think it’s given me confidence in terms of you know that I do belong on the world stage even just still being 19 and able to make a final,” she added.
The World Championship rookie was 12th in her heat (2:07.57) before improving her time in the semi-final to qualify equal sixth fastest for her first major international final.
Throssell, who is coached by Matt Magee, swam from lane one in the final and was looking to better her personal best time of 2:06.60, working her way up the international ranks.
“I think it’s really given me confidence to move forward,” she said.
WA’s brightest swimming prospect will compete in the 2016 Australian Swimming Championships early next year with the hope of qualifying for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
-SwimmingWA