2-Week Camp With IU’s Lilly King Produces PB For Aussie Jessica Hansen

2018 AUSTRALIAN PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIP TRIALS

23-year-old Jessica Hansen was in a bit of a mental slump after not performing to her expectations at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Despite having clocked a solid time of 1:07.33 in the 100m breaststroke at her nation’s Commonwealth Trials, when it came time to perform in the final on the Gold Coast this past April, the Nunawading Swimming Club athlete produced a mark of 1:08.53 to finish 8th in her signature event.

Looking for invigoration for his athlete, as well as a change in scenery, Nunawading High Performance Coach Scott Talbot turned his sights overseas, reaching out to Indiana University Head Coach Ray Looze. The pair devised a plan where Hansen would come to Bloomington for a couple of weeks, with a corresponding Indiana athlete traveling to Victoria at some point in the future.

Hansen joined IU’s Lilly King and former-Hoosier-turned-pro Cody Miller last month for a rapid-fire training camp of sorts, where Hansen underwent a brutal aquatic education.

“It was the hardest I have ever trained especially as I just got off the plane and went straight into it with no rest to build into it,” Hansen says of her time under Looze, alongside Olympic medalists.

“It was hard work and a grind, but it was awesome and I was shown a lot of skills and my weaknesses were exposed so I know where I can improve,” Hansen said. “Communication is the way forward in swimming as we have so much to learn from people around the world.

“We shouldn’t be afraid to expose our weaknesses and put ourselves in tough situations.”

Coach Looze concurs, telling SwimSwam that Hansen’s stint at IU was indeed “really hard for her” and a lot different from what the Aussie was used to as the sole breaststroker in her squad back home. “Her kick is really good, but we worked on her pull technique.” Hansen was performing “better and better” as her time with the Americans passed.

Even just a two-week stint paid off big for Hansen, as she went on to fire off a new personal best in the 100m breaststroke while competing at this week’s Pan Pacific Trials in South Australia. Hansen took the gold in a time of 1:06.74, a time that not only dips under the 1:06.81 Pan Pacs QT, but also checks-in as a new personal best by two tenths.

Of her new PB, Hansen said, “I knew I could just go out there and attack it which is something that I have been hesitant with in the last few races that I have done.”

“It’s a relief to be on the team and know that I have got my spot. I held my nerve which helped me win the race.”

In This Story

11
Leave a Reply

Subscribe
Notify of

11 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Sum Ting Wong
5 years ago

Her club had Liesel Jones there for years when she was World Record holder . Im sure they have every set , every stroke correction on hand . In Jess’s case she just is not an aggressive racer .

Double Arm Freestyle
Reply to  Sum Ting Wong
5 years ago

Breaststroke can be finicky though and there’s a lot of ways to swim it. The breaststroke Jones swam or the way she trained may not be best for Hansen so this could’ve given her (and her coach) insight into changes to help her better herself

Sum Ting Wong
Reply to  Double Arm Freestyle
5 years ago

If you say so .

Kelsey
Reply to  Sum Ting Wong
5 years ago

The coach is also different since LJ’s time

bobo gigi
5 years ago

Regan Smith and Carson Foster, please, go there a few weeks to improve your breaststroke. Then you become the next 200 IM stars.

Hswimmer
Reply to  bobo gigi
5 years ago

Yes!!! Especially for Regan!

NaaahBro
Reply to  bobo gigi
5 years ago

Regan can just go down the street to the U of MN to hone her skills…Breaststroke U!!!!

taa
Reply to  bobo gigi
5 years ago

That would be epic if King and Cody did a breaststroke camp for the junior swimmers. Trash talking 101 and Extra Dolphin Kicks 102 hahhahahaha.

Hswimmer
Reply to  taa
5 years ago

Agree lol dolphin kicks especially 🤣

Becky D
Reply to  taa
5 years ago

I think both of those could be upper-division classes.

Hswimmer
5 years ago

Awesome

About Retta Race

Retta Race

Former Masters swimmer and coach Loretta (Retta) thrives on a non-stop but productive schedule. Nowadays, that includes having just earned her MBA while working full-time in IT while owning French 75 Boutique while also providing swimming insight for BBC.

Read More »