How backstroker Woodward is going forward . . . backwards

New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship athlete, Brad Woodward, will utilise his years of hard earned experience to galvanise himself for his best possible performance when he represents Australia in backstroke at this month’s World Aquatic Championships in Fukuoka, Japan.

Woodward, who’ll turn 25 on Thursday, said being named in the 38-member Australian Dolphins squad to swim in the 100 and 200m backstroke events after putting in two Personal Best [PB] performances at last month’s trials in Melbourne was accompanied by contrasting emotions.

“It was a mix of great excitement – and intense relief,” said Woodward, a proud product of the Central Coast. “But it always is . . . swimming can be a brutal sport  – even beyond the daily grind. To qualify for the Australian team you get one chance in one swim in one day to put yourself on the Australian team.

“I know they’re two completely different sports, but it’s not the same as footy players where, if you don’t stand up one week you have the next week. Swimming trials are always the greatest pressure cooker meet of the year, but this latest one was something else because the QTs [qualifying times] were quite tough: top eight from world’s last year, and, on top of that, you needed to be in the top two [finishers] as well.

“For me, the worlds will be a matter of having a good swim in the heat, getting into the semis and then – hopefully – qualifying for a spot in the final. From there it is whatever happens. Hopefully that’s a good swim and PB.”

Woodward, who has also represented Australia at the Lifesaving World Championships, believes he could qualify for a final in Japan if he produces a PB. While no-one can ever predict how a race will go, the Adam Kable-coached swimmer said there was plenty of ways in which he could help himself to reach his goals.

“It’s just about sticking to the process and knowing these events are always unpredictable,” said Woodward, who has six Commonwealth Games medals; world cup triumphs, and a haul of precious metal from national and state championships to his name.

“I’ve put down two solid races at the trials in heats and then the final, so, I’ll stick to my race plan and not get too caught up in what’s going around me. What I expect [at Fukuoka] is you’ll have guys going out super quick and others who’ll go super slow.

“The key is not getting too distracted by anyone else’s race and just sticking to what you know. You must be ‘on’ in the heats; ‘on’ in the semis, and then ‘on’ for the finals.”

Woodward said while he’s determined to represent Australia at next year’s Paris Olympic Games, his entire focus was on performing well in Japan.

“My mindset is one goal at a time,” he said. “If I can turn up to the world championships and put together a few swims it puts me in good stead. It’s just about building up and improving even more and come up with even better times next year.

“I’m enjoying swimming . . . I’m a bit older but I do the sport because I enjoy it,” he said. “I love going to training and pushing myself, doing the one per centers – like stretching, working on my skills – and seeing the end result. I have a love in the process, and a love for swimming.”

Woodward will be joined in Fukuoka by fellow NSWIS scholarship athletes Sean Champion and Maddy Gough, while NSWIS’s Adam Kable, Chris Nesbit and Amanda Isaac have been appointed to squad’s coaching staff.

In a further boost, NSWIS’s swimming program, Matt Galea and Haig Buckingham were selected to represent the Australia A team that will compete in the TYR Pro Championships in California later this month.

Daniel Lane, NSWIS