Current and former 'Birds set to swim at World Short Course Swimming Championships

12/7/2012 11:07:00 AM

Vancouver, BC - The FINA World Short Course Swimming Championships are set for next week in Istanbul, Turkey and the UBC Thunderbirds will be represented by four current members of the varsity team and two alumni.

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Current members include Tera Van Beilen (Oakville, ON), Heather MacLean (Toronto, ON), Luke Peddie (Edmonton, AB) and Coleman Allen (Spokane, WA). Last season's CIS Swimmers of the Year Martha McCabe and Tommy Gossland will also be representing Team Canada.

“The opportunity for our UBC Varsity and post grad swimmers to measure themselves against some of the world's best this soon after the Olympics will launch them to a better standard of performance," said UBC Swimming head coach Steve Price. "It's easy to get complacent after the successful season like last year, but this program is about pushing the envelope every day and never standing still."

On the women's side Tera Van Beilen, who finished 9th in the 100m breastroke at the 2012 Summer Olympics, will be competing in three events, the 50m breaststroke, 100m breaststroke, and 200m breaststroke. Fellow Olympian Heather MacLean is scheduled to race in four events, the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle, and 400m freestyle. As for Martha McCabe, who won bronze at the 2011 World Championships in the 200m breaststroke and finished fifth in the same event in London, she will be competing in the same three races as Van Beilen.

As for the men, first year swimmer Luke Peddie will be competing in the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, and 200m freestyle. Tommy Gossland is also in the 50m freestyle and 100m freestyle, while Coleman Allen has three events to prepare for, the 50m butterfly, 100m butterfly, and 200m butterfly.

"So far this season we have seen world records broken so the best never stop and we need to do the same," said Price. "Young swimmers like Luke Peddie and Coleman Allen will be in tough, but it's better they see what the world standard is now rather than later. We are looking forward to some fast racing! “

The 2012 World Short Course Swimming Championships is a five day competition that is held every two years. Competitors will be swimming in a 25 metre pool, as opposed to the Olympic length of 50m (long course). This year's event runs from December 12 through the 16th.

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