Burger makes a splash at swim championships
TEENAGE swimming sensation Marni Burger stepped onto the national stage in adult competition at the 2010 Telstra Australian Swimming Championships.
DAVID WEINER
TEENAGE swimming sensation Marni Burger stepped onto the national stage in adult competition for the first time at the 2010 Telstra Australian Swimming Championships at Sydney Olympic Park at the weekend.
She left her mark by qualifying for the final in the women’s 200 butterfly where she finished eighth in the race won by Olympian Jessica Schipper.
Schipper’s winning time was 2:07.66 and Burger clocked 2:17.02.
“I wasn’t very happy with the time that I swum but considering the environment and the experience it was pretty good,” Burger, 16, told The AJN.
“[The meet] was a lot different. I was very much out of my comfort zone.”
Burger has made headlines for her performances in junior competition and on the Maccabiah stage over the years. But this meeting, which doubled as the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games selection trials, was entirely different with Olympic competitors, television cameras and a large crowd.
“I’ve never been at a meet where there are cameras in your face everywhere for the whole time and being surrounded by previous Olympic athletes,” she explained.
“I was probably the most nervous I’d been before. Just a lot of things I’m not used to. [Waiting to start the race] there was a camera in your face; your name is called; and I was last onto the blocks and you need to keep your jacket on to show your number, so I wasn’t as ready as I wanted to be.”
Burger competed in Schipper’s heat, the last one held on Sunday morning. Despite not being ranked in the top-eight heading into the meet, and seeing “Schipper a few body lengths out in front, [which] is a bit scary”, Burger “surprised” herself in the race.
“It’s a big step to make an open national final,” she enthused. “I remember watching them on TV in previous years … Well, I got a number of text messages yesterday saying I saw you on TV — everyone I think was pretty proud.”
The final rounded out the teenager’s program, which included just missing the semi-final in the 100-metre butterfly where she finished 19th.
Burger also just missed her personal best in the 50-metre freestyle, finishing 33rd with 26:99 seconds. Representing her training squad, Melbourne Vicentre, her 4×100 metre freestyle relay came third, but was disqualified.
With this invaluable experience in her locker, Burger heads to the age championships in two weeks, also in Sydney, full of confidence.
“The whole experience will help me a lot in the future,” she added. “I wanted to swim well in this but didn’t know how close I’d be. I was quietly hoping for a bit faster, but am quietly satisfied.”
“I’d really like to medal at the age nationals and then get onto teams like the Youth Olympics team.”
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