Big goals in mind for Ewan Jackson

Rising freestyle specialist Ewan Jackson hopes the 2015 New Zealand Open Championships will kick-start the next chapter of his development after enjoying a significant breakthrough in 2014.

Jackson, who appeared for New Zealand in the 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle relays at last year’s Commonwealth Games, is now looking towards qualification for the World Championships in Kazan later this year and is seeking a strong performance at the flagship domestic event staged in his home city of Auckland.

“Preparation has gone pretty well, I’ve managed to avoid sickness so it’s given me optimum time in the pool to prepare,” he adds. “To qualify for the World Championships is my main target but to just keep on improving is personally a big goal.”

Starting out his competitive career at the Manurewa Swimming Club winning two national junior titles before later joining the outstanding age-group programme at the Howick Pakuranga Club and making the national team for the Trans-Tasman age group competition in Australia aged just 15.

Yet after struggling to back up that initial success, he lost confidence and the results started to suffer. It was only when Slovakian Olympian Jana Korbasova became head coach did his form return and in 2012 he qualified to compete at the World Short Course Championships in Istanbul.

Keen to see her young charge develop, Korbasova later suggested Jackson should try out for the national High Performance squad and when Swimming New Zealand coach David Lyles accepted the application in just seven months he qualified for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow helping New Zealand to fifth in the 4x200m freestyle final.

Thriving in training alongside New Zealand’s elite swimmers, Jackson, 21, has now set his sights on bigger goals. Entered in several freestyle events next week his main focus is the 400m event and he hopes to book his ticket for Kazan one year out from the Rio Olympics.

“I think it is majorly important to make World Championships this year, being able to make the competition as a stepping stone and being on the world stage is vitally important a year out from Rio.”

Unlike some of his fellow New Zealand swimmers Jackson sees little need to train overseas to fulfil his dreams.

“The main advantage (of training at home) is wanting to prove to people that you can swim in New Zealand and get results without too many huge expectations,” he adds.

Ewan Jackson – Factbox

On his global championship debut at the 2012 World Short Course Swimming Championships Jackson finished 31^st and 21^st in the 200m and 400m freestyle, respectively.