Success on and off podium for Redcliffe duo

Two Redcliffe Leagues Swimming Club members had plenty to celebrate at the Queensland Short Course Championships, but for different reasons.

The August 12-14 event marked a return for Zaine Vardon (pictured with coach Wanda Drew and Rylee Smith) who had been unable to compete since December 2021, through injury.

After months of rehabilitation, the 14-year-old returned with a 0.82-second personal best in the 50m freestyle, clocking 26.44 seconds and going under 27 seconds for the first time.

In a tough, tightly-contested sprint, Vardon finished in 27th place with less than one second between seventh and 27th.

Club colleague Rylee Smith completed a huge program with 3.2km of race events finishing with three personal bests, just two weeks after setting them at the Brisbane championships.

Smith, 13, finished second in 1500m freestyle in a pb of 17 minutes 52.09 seconds and third in 200m backstroke with a pb of 2:24.35.

She was also eight in 800m freestyle in a pb, ninth in the 400m freestyle, 17th in the 100m backstroke and 22nd in 200m freestyle.

Both have been selected in Queensland Development Squads, of which there are six, for the 2022/2023 season.

Rylee is in the Bronze squad (level 5) and Vardon in the Junior squad (level 6) ahead of extended opportunities to develop and additional training camps/days.

Redcliffe’s short course racing season has now finished and members move to the regular long course with Club Nights restarting on October 4.

Redcliffe Leagues Swimming Club is hosting Club Sign-on Days at the Redcliffe War Memorial Pool on Sunday August 28 from 11.30am-2.30pm and Saturday September 10 from 9am-noon.

Email racesecretary.rlsc@gmail.com for further information regarding the new season.