Getting word of her confirmation to attend the 2012 Summer Olympics was the high point of the year for Bishop’s High School student Britany Van Lange.
“When I got the confirmation the first time I was like ‘whoa’.”
“It was a halfway reaction because I always believed that I could get there but yet I was still surprised at the fact that I did do it,” “Whoa,” indeed. It is not everyday that a secondary school student gets to attend such a prestigious event like the Olympic Games. Despite always being hopeful of her ability to make it to the Olympics, Van Lange is still a little reserved about her chances. “At first I knew that it wasn’t sure. I knew that I was just shortlisted and then, when I heard that I was actually picked, I was really surprised and then it turned into happiness,” said the 15-year-old when she sat down with Stabroek Sports earlier this week. The fourth form student jokingly admits that she has become somewhat of a celebrity among her friends.
Van Lange first burst onto the international scene last year representing Guyana at the FINA World Championships in Shanghai, China, along with Jessica Stephenson and Niall Roberts. While not much was expected from the young Guyanese swimmers going up against the world’s best, van Lange’s crowning moment was winning her heats in the women’s 100m race. She subsequently attended the Pan American Games later that year.
Asked about her expectations, van Lange relayed that she wouldn’t expect it to be like any event she has attended before, saying she was happy to be doing only one event, enabling her to put all of her focus and energy in that one event. “I would expect something bigger [than the World Championships and Pan American Games], this is the Olympics, this is the highest level of competition that there is in sports. I am glad that it’s just that one event because I’ll get to put everything and focus on that one event,” she said.
“The 100m is my favourite event. That is actually the event that I do good in,” the Goodwill Swimming Championships gold medalist related.
Van Lange will debut at the Olympics in the women’s 100m, where the heats are set to go ‘down on August 1. The most esteemed sporting event, Van Lange will expect to go up against no less than the world’s best. Ecstatic about this realization of a lifelong dream, that began since she started swimming, van Lange assured of her aptitude to make the best of this opportunity.
“I see myself being prepared to go up to the challenge. I expect that I will improve my timing. I feel ecstatic that I have reached this level in my swimming and I believe with training I can make it count.”
The reaction wasn’t much different for van Lange’s colleague Roberts, who will also be participating in the swimming segment when the Olympics roll around late next month.
“When I got the news [that] I was going I didn’t really have much of a reaction right away. It was just like a regular leaving the country for a meet. But a bit later in the day everyone began congratulating me and the magnitude of the situation set in, I was ecstatic,” Roberts said.
Roberts will participate in the men’s 100m on July 31, according to schedule placed on the website for the 2012 Olympics. While the entire Olympics is set to run from the 27 July – 12 August, swimming at the Olympics will be from July 28 – August 4.
With neither of the swimmers having been able to acquire the prerequisite qualifying times, both are attending the event as unqualified athletes through universality placement which entitled the two swimmers participation in one event each.
Though not too pleased with once again attending as an unqualified participant, Roberts stated that he is nevertheless proud of his current level of performance, without which he would not have even been able to earn universality-placing.
Hopeful of one day attending the Olympics as a qualified swimmer, Roberts realistically noted that would depend on how the future goes.
“It would have been a lot better to have qualified for the Olympics, to have that sense of being on par with the big names that will be there. However I don’t let it get me down, because it’s my performance that got me the wild card in the first place. If I hadn’t done well at the World Games [FINA Championships] I wouldn’t be given the opportunity. I do see myself one day qualifying but that’s going to take a lot of work and time in the pool which may be getting less as I grow older. I don’t know how long I’ll still be in the sport. Things are different for us here [in Guyana]. I don’t get paid to swim, and soon I’ll have to stop altogether when I start working a 9-5. Right now I’m an instructor at the Swim Academy and the times there work for me, but I won’t be doing that all my life. I would love to go pro. But it’s just not possible in Guyana,” the 20-year-old said.
This will be Roberts’s second Olympics, having swam in the men’s 50m freestyle at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. He commented that he was happy to be doing a different race this time around.
Both swimmers recently returned from a meet in Barbados to which they both admitted they were not satisfied with the performances produced.
“I was disappointed with my performance in Barbados. It was my first international meet for the year and it was to see where I stood at this time. If qualifying times weren’t obtained I was at least looking to get my FINA points up to secure a spot at the Olympics,” Roberts said.
Coach for the two swimmers, Stephanie Fraser, said that she would not hold the swimmers’ performance in Barbados against them given the point of training which they’re at.
“The stage of training they’re at I didn’t expect them to do too well. They had just come out of their gym training, and they had just passed their first two phases which is basic endurance and specific training,” Fraser said.
Nevertheless, Fraser said she expect the two swimmers to be well prepared in the next few weeks leading up to their arrival at the Olympics.
