Negri brothers’ swimming success

BROTHERS Benno and Dante Negri starred in the pool at the recent Georgina Hope Swimmers Foundation (GHSF) Australian Age Championships in Adelaide, finishing first and third in two relay events.

Dante, who is only 12, stepped up to the race with his 14-year-old brother for MLC Aquatic in the relays, which saw them win the 4x50m medley by 0.10, before placing third in the 4x50m freestyle race.

“It was amazing to see them swim together,” their mother Simone told The AJN.

“It doesn’t get more special than that, it was the most beautiful moment to see them walk out the same end and stand on the pool deck together.”

Benno joined a rare group of Jewish swimmers to have won a race at the championships, when he took out the 200m backstroke event last year.

He was the standout performer again this year, recording a joint-silver and three other bronze medal-winning swims in the under-14 age group.

He came equal second in the 50m freestyle in a time of 24.11, which was also a Victorian record for that event, before finishing third in the 200m backstroke in 2:09.86, in the 100m backstroke in 59.38 and in the 200m individual medley in 2:14.06.

Benno also recorded a seventh-place finish in the 100m freestyle in a time of 55.40.

“Benno as been training very hard over the past six to 12 months and there is maturity in the way he applies himself both in a competitive sense and in training,” said Simone.

“He’s not starting to understand that hard work in the pool everyday equals success when it counts at the elite competitive level.”

Dante, along with Jordan Hazan who swims for Melbourne Vicentre, raced in several events in the under-12/13 age group, but they both failed to make the respective finals.

Meanwhile, Sydneysider Kyron Israelsohn picked up bronze in the under-16 50m freestyle, swimming a superb time of 23.66. He then just missed out on a spot in the final of the 100m freestyle.

Ashley Shenker

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