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KNYSNA SWIMMING NEWS - Knysna swimming prodigy Aimee Canny is gearing up for her return to national competition with the SA Short Course Championships coming up this weekend in Pietermaritzburg.

Earlier this year, Aimee's goal was to qualify for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo via the SA National Aquatics Championships which were to take place in early April. 

Even though this event was cancelled, Aimee continued to work hard during lockdown, focusing on "dry-land" workouts until she was able to return to the water in July.

Despite the lack of any competition for months, in August Aimee was named in the Swimming SA (SSA) national senior youth and national open squads by virtue of her national rankings. This was the first time she achieved the latter.

In the two months since, Aimee recommenced her regular training programme at Knysna Primary School's pool, which proved fruitful as she was invited to take part in the Western Cape Aquatics (WCA) Short Course Invitational in Langebaan on 26 and 27 September. 

There, she didn't swim for competition as it was against the boys, but it still paid huge dividends for Aimee. She clocked a new personal best short-course 200m individual medley (IM) time of 2:15:93. 

"I haven't swum short course in a year or two … but it was still great to get back in the water and swim for actual times," Aimee said.

Although always up for challenges, she is typically a long-course* swimmer. "We've really been working hard on getting my stamina up there to improve my long-distance swimming," she said. "We can always improve my short distance pace again, but for now the main goal is my long distances."

Photo gallery: Aimee is training hard to return to nationals

The recent meet in Langebaan could come in handy when Aimee heads off to Pietermaritzburg for the SA Short Course Championships from 24 to 27 October. She is one of 72 women invited to the competition, and will be taking part in the open-age category, which doesn't faze her all too much.

"I don't really get nervous well ahead of a race, maybe a bit closer to the time," she said on Monday.

Her coach, Francois Boshoff, has always admired this about her. "One of Aimee's strengths is her ability to really hone in on a race and control her nervousness – it's one of the many things that make her exceptional," he said.

In training earlier this week, Aimee looked in fine form, and with her excitement growing by the day, she will undoubtedly be looking to break more ground in the pool come this weekend in Pietermaritzburg.

* The difference between short and long course is the length of the pool. A 25m pool is short course, and a 50m pool is long course.

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