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Port Elizabeth – Uitenhage swimming twins Alaric and Alard Basson are set to make a splash in Canada next week when they put their intensity training to the test and represent SA in the Fina World Swimming Championships
The 20-year-old Nedbank Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University swimming club stars are set to take their place alongside the world's elite between December 6 to 11.
The twins are participating in Windsor, Ontario, for the 13th Fina short course swimming championships.
According to Alard, even though they face a lengthy trip, they will be ready for the competition.
On Friday, they will fly to Johannesburg and then to Canada, via Heathrow in London.
"It is a bit tiring, but we have four days before the competition to recover and to adjust, so that should be enough for us to be ready," he said.
Swimming stars Alard (left) and Alaric Basson leave for Canada on Friday to compete in the World Short Course Championships. (Supplied)
Intense competition
Alard is no stranger to medals, having earned himself a bronze medal in the 200m butterfly at the SA Short Course Championships.
Alaric is preparing for a week of intense competition as he tries to make his mark in the 200m breaststroke and the 100m individual medley.
"There is a big difference in short course racing in a 25m pool. It is far more explosive than events in an Olympic-size pool which is 50m long," he said.
Alaric said that, while competitors could pace themselves in a 200m event, in a shorter pool "it's basically a sprint all the way".
"That makes it a lot tougher and much more intense."
In this year's national short course gala, Alaric won the bronze medal in the 200m breaststroke and silver in the 100m individual medley.
'Explosive gym training'
The Basson twins have been fine-tuning their skills in the Herbert Hurd Primary School's 25m pool.
"We have been training really hard and the intensity has been right up there. We have been putting in eight sessions a week, including explosive gym training," Alaric said.
He said his goals were to achieve his personal best times in each discipline.
"Hopefully I can make a final and then we will just have to see what happens. This is definitely another opportunity to make a mark for ourselves."
Alard, who will compete in the 100m butterfly and 100m individual medley, said the build-up was "quite hectic".
"We did pick up the intensity quite a bit, but now we are in the tapering phase, which means that we are easing off and getting our bodies conditioned for racing."
'Touch of nervousness'
He said the biggest challenge they faced was to adopt a positive attitude as they approached a meeting with the world's elite swimming stars.
"We will have to go there with the right mindset and that is always the test in senior events such as this because you have to be ready to compete against the top guys."
He added that it was a perfect chance to show what they could do as they didn't often swim in senior world events of this nature.
"This is the biggest meeting we will have attended so there's a lot of excitement, but also a touch of nervousness."
