TOM HOLLINGSWORTH is something of a reluctant star.
He loves his swimming, he is dedicated to it and, of course, he is extremely talented to boot.
Yet he still harbours that modest element of surprise when approached for an interview and the bashful grin that really came to prominence when he starred in the Shetland Island Games of 2005 remains.
Beneath it, though, is someone who has matured well and is preparing for his second crack at a Commonwealth Games.
Now 21, Hollingsworth (pictured) was one of seven Guernsey swimmers who mixed it with some of the world’s elite in Melbourne in 2006, but he feels as if he has some unfinished business that he wants to rectify in Delhi next October.
‘The Commonwealth Games is the main aim,’ he said.
‘The experience of the whole occasion is the biggest thing I took from Melbourne. That was the big one for me and I was quite disappointed with how I performed, but I think I was a bit overwhelmed when I was there.
‘The 200 fly and the 400m individual medley [will be the main disciplines I am looking at in Delhi] and I am hoping to final in those two events.’
Hollingsworth was speaking at the conclusion of Saturday morning’s session of the Rothschild Island Swimming Championships.
Over the last four years, due to his university studies, opportunities to see the Beau Sejour Barracuda in action in his home pool have been rare.
Yet, whenever he does show his face, it is as if he has never been away.
‘I enjoy being back and I do like coming back for this event,’ Hollingsworth said.
His studies have not slowed him down either, although a brief look of dread flashes across his face as he reveals that he has a dissertation to write in the coming weeks.
Hollingsworth is in the final year of his degree at Norwich University, where he is studying meteorology and oceanography.
As part of his course, in the last academic year he was based in Sydney at Macquarie University.
‘It was great,’ he said.
‘There was a club just around the corner and I worked on my sprinting there, which was probably the weakest aspect of my swimming, so that has come on well.
‘It was also nice to train outside.’
Now back in East Anglia, the good work is continuing.
‘We have got a new coach at Norwich and things are going really well. I have a lot of work on at uni, so organisation of my time is the key when it comes to swimming.
‘I am looking at going to Germany for an open meet with the City of Norwich team in March. That will be my first taper of the season and the Commonwealth Games will be the second.’
As for his performances in the Beau Sejour pool at the weekend, over the first couple of sessions he was certainly the man to catch, although Ben Lowndes, James Jurkiewicz and Ian Hubert all gave him a run for his money over the first half of the meet.
‘I had a great race with Ian in the 100m fly, as I did with Ben in the 100 IM.
‘My times have been exactly where they need to be at this stage of the season – just slightly off my PBs.’
But seeing his old mates also brought with it a pang of regret due to the banter.
‘I wish I could done the Island Games. I would have loved to have done Aland, but being in Australia made it too difficult.
‘I have been told by everyone how good it was and I really want to do 2011 [the Isle of Wight Games] now. That is definitely on the radar.’
Other than Hollingsworth, the main star of the early sessions over this weekend was Guernsey Swimming Club prospect Kristina Neves, who set three new records on Friday evening alone.
They came in her first three events of the 100m IM, the 400m freestyle and the 50m butterfly. Despite still being only 13, she was the quickest girl overall in all three.
Friday evening was also a good session for Victoria Parfit, who broke two age group records – in the 100m IM and and the 200m breaststroke – while her Barracudas clubmate and fellow Island Games competitor Joshua Lewis set a new standard in the 200m breaststroke.
Full results to followRothschild Island Championships: Commonwealth Games competitor returns to home pool
Article posted on 23rd November, 2009 - 2.29pm
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