Swimming Australia partnership provides student swimmers with high performance opportunities

UniSport Australia (UniSport) has today announced a partnership with Swimming Australia.

Through the partnership, Swimming Australia will endorse the UniSport Nationals Div 1 as an official part of Swimming Australia’s high performance program, bringing the UniSport Nationals swimming competition into the national calendar.

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Pictured above (L-R): Brooke Hanson (Olympian; former Australian UniRoo; and Deakin University Nationals Div 1 Chef de Mission), Kiah Melverton (Griffith University; Nationals Div 1 women’s 200m freestyle record holder – 2:02.00), and Natalie Broom (Project Manager – Nationals). Photo credit: UniSport (Peter Goodman)

UniSport Chief Executive Officer Don Knapp said the partnership is a significant step in supporting the student-athlete pathway in Australia’s sporting landscape. “Swimming is a high participation sport in the university sector.

Formalising our partnership with Swimming Australia increases opportunities for student-athletes to pursue their athletic goals,” Don said. “This arrangement complements our existing partnership with Swimming Australia with respect to the Summer Universiade – the pathway for elite swimming athletes at university is complete.”

Next year’s UniSport Nationals Div 1 swimming event will be held in conjunction with the 2019 Sydney Open Invitational at Sydney Olympic Park from 10-12 May. This will provide an additional elite competition experience for student-athletes preparing for World Championships and the International University Sports Federation Summer Universiade.

Swimming Australia is the national governing body for swimming, overseeing the conduct of its domestic championships and authorising the selection of participants and teams to represent Australia at international events. Jamie Salter, Swimming Australia General Manager – Performance Pathway, was thrilled to see UniSport support a standalone competition during an important time in the international competitive season.

“The new-look competition for the UniSport Nationals will be held at a crucial time in the swimming calendar next year – between National Championship and World Championship trials,” Jamie said. “This will allow our key swimmers, particularly those who are at university, to compete against quality opposition and fine tune their preparations ahead of the World Championship trials in June.”

“The UniSport Nationals will also foster opportunities for new students within our sport and expose them to a high-quality competition environment.” Swimming New South Wales Chief Executive Officer Mark Heathcote said: “Swimming New South Wales is delighted to host the UniSport Nationals in May next year.

Our partnership with UniSport Australia is an important step in forging closer relationships with tertiary institutions, with the ultimate goal of encouraging swimmers to continuing their swimming well beyond their school years.”

Visit the UniSport Nationals Div 1 swimming page for more information.

Pictured above (L-R): Brooke Hanson (Olympian; former Australian UniRoo; and Deakin University Nationals Div 1 Chef de Mission), Elijah Winnington (Bond University, swimming athlete), and Natalie Broom (Project Manager – Nationals). Photo credit: UniSport (Peter Goodman)