Henry has junior world hopes

RACING at this year’s junior world swimming championships in Romania is a goal Bendigo teenager Henry Allan will pursue.

Outstanding performances in backstroke, butterfly and freestyle at the Victorian Age Championships in December earned his first monthly honour in Bendigo’s Sports Star of the Year awards.

Among the highs at the state titles were gold in the 16-years 100-metre backstroke in a time of 54.63 seconds, which broke the Australian age record by half a second.

“My time was two seconds faster than at the Australian titles in Brisbane in April,” Allan said from the deck at Bendigo East Swimming Pool.

The 16-year-old’s campaign at the titles included gold in the 200-metre backstroke, 100-metre freestyle, 100-metre butterfly and the 4×50-metre medley, where he swam the backstroke leg.

The latest hit-out for Allan was last weekend’s Victorian Country Championships in Mildura.

A top-two finish in the under-18 class at the Australian Championships in Brisbane in April will earn him a place in the team for the world juniors in Otopeni, Romania, in August.

“There’s plenty of work to do,” Allan said.

Part of his training included this month’s camp at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra.

“It was great to be part of. I gained a few tips on my technique, especially for backstroke,” he said.

Coached by John Jordan, Allan became serious about swimming four years ago.

There have been thousands of laps swum by the dedicated athlete and his clubmates.

His greatest supporters are his parents, Amy and Troy.

The gun swimmer completes nine training sessions each week. And discipline in making training is crucial to his success.

“For every session I miss my opponents are getting closer to me, or further away when racing,” he said.

Allan’s success and the potential he has shown earned him the Cyril Michelsen Trust Fund in the Bendigo Sports Star of the Year in 2023. “To receive the award was a great honour for Henry. The cash has helped a lot with expenses for racing and training,” Troy Allan said.

The swimmer has earned another Sports Star scholarship in the 2024 awards intake.