Three of Australia’s emerging young swim stars Stephanie Williams, Ashley Delaney and Nick D’Arcy have been handed the chance of a life time after being added to the Australian Swim Team for the Pan Pacific Championships to be held in Victoria, BC, Canada from August 17-21.

After a series of standout performances over the last month, Nunawading backstroker Delaney, Maroochydore’s butterfly specialist D’Arcy and AIS-based Newcastle distance freestyler Williams will join the star studded team.

The rookie trio were all part of the successful Oceania Championships team that swept all before them at the meet that concluded today in Cairns.

The three positions became available on the team after veterans Adam Pine and Brooke Hanson announced they would miss the meet sighting family and work commitments and this week’s withdrawal of South Australian 800m freestyler Caroline South due to illness.

Australia’s National Head Coach Alan Thompson threw out the challenge to Australia’s youth ranks two weeks ago and he said today that Delaney, D’Arcy and Williams had answered the call.

“We have had teams racing around the globe for over a month now and these three guys were chosen for their consistent high performance,” Thompson said.

“Now they have been presented with the opportunity to race at a major international meet and I am sure they will benefit greatly as we move towards the Australian Championships in December when we select our team for next year’s World Championships.”

Delaney won four gold medals at the Oceania Championships following victories in the USA and at the Grand Prix in Brisbane two weeks ago.

The 20-year-old was already slated to move to the AIS in Canberra on Monday and now will have a new focus for his Canadian arrival – team mate Welsh and American world record holders Aaron Peirsol, Ryan Lochte and possibly even Michael Phelps.

“My name was the last to be read out and I couldn’t believe my ears,” said Delaney.

“I have been swimming consistently over the past month in the US and at the Brisbane Grand Prix and at the Oceania Championships and I guess I’ve swum around 12 times over 100m backstroke.

“But to swim my personal best in my last race in Cairns is just awesome. I can’t wait to go to the Pan Pacs and to represent Australia – it is definitely going to be a great experience.”

D’Arcy, the emerging 200m butterflyer who won two gold and silver in his pet event at the prestigious Mare Nostrum series, will join noted Australian butterflyers Travis Nederpelt, Josh Krogh and Andrew Richards on the team.

He is sure to come up against six-time Olympic gold medallist Phelps and Japanese star Takeshi Matsuda.

 D’Arcy, who had his appendix out just three-weeks before embarking on his European tour, couldn’t believe he had made the team.

“My times over the past week have not been quite as good as I went in Europe so it was a relief and a surprise to make the team,” said an ecstatic D’Arcy.

“I’m not just satisfied to make the team either, I’m going to have a red hot go.”

AIS-based Williams has long been touted as a future international competitor after winning her first senior Australian title three years ago aged just 13 and now she will have the opportunity to take on some of the world’s best distance freestylers in Canada.

“Finally…. all the hard work has paid off,” said Williams, who has gone so close to making her senior debut over the past two years.

Williams admitted her switch to coach Doug Frost at the AIS in Canberra saved her career.

“There were times when I wanted to give up but training with Doug has really turned around my career, he’s a very smart coach and we seem to have connected really well,” said Williams.

The Telstra Australian Team for the Pan Pacs will leave Australia for a pre-meet training camp in Seattle on August 7, before arriving in Victoria on August 14.

The four day swim meet in the 1994 Commonwealth Games pool will run from August 17-20 with the Open Water contested on August 21.

Swimming Australia