READ MORE - Strauch in peak form for Olympic swimming trials
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AN elated Jenna Strauch describes her Olympic selection as a dream come true after qualifying for the Australian swimming team on Wednesday night.
Strauch will compete in the women's 200m breaststroke at the Tokyo Olympic Games next month.
The 24-year-old earned her Olympic berth after winning the women's 200m breaststroke final at the Australian Swimming Trials in Adelaide.
Her time of 2:23.12 was both a personal best and well inside the Olympic qualifying time of 2:24.18.
It's understood Strauch is only the second swimmer from Bendigo to compete at the Olympic Games, with the other being the late Faith Leech, who won gold in the 4 x 100m freestyle and bronze in the 100m freestyle in Melbourne in 1956.
"It's all very exciting... it has been a big 24 hours," Strauch said on Thursday.
"It hasn't sunk in yet. At the moment it's a feeling of excitement and relief.
"There has been a lot of hard work getting to this point and I think it's going to take a little while to sink in and realise that it's not just a dream, going to the Olympics is actually going to happen."
It's going to take a little while to sink in and realise that it's not just a dream, going to the Olympics is actually going to happen
- Jenna Strauch
Strauch was the fastest of the qualifiers for the final after swimming a heat time of 2:25.24 - more than two seconds quicker than her nearest rival - on Wednesday morning.
"Yesterday morning's swim was very controlled. I just wanted to go out there and execute a race plan that I knew would be quite strong, which is what you've got to do in the heats," Strauch said.
"Looking ahead to Tokyo, you're going to have to swim quick in the morning and then quicker again the final, so I wanted to put a good swim on the board, but nothing too outrageous and then be able to produce the goods at night."
And produce the goods Strauch did following an afternoon in which she remained relaxed and calm.
"You don't want to be just sitting around all day thinking about what's coming up because you can end up racing the race in your head," Strauch said.
"I spent the afternoon watching a lot of TV, I had a nap, just about read a whole book and had a lot of downtime to keep my mind at ease and nice and relaxed.
"Come race time, my mindset was to just go out and enjoy it because all the training that I've done will take care of itself and I've just got to execute, which I did and it worked for me.
"Throughout the race I was feeling really good and that's obviously a good sign, but you don't know what the time is going to be because you're just totally caught up and focused on what you're doing.
"I knew the time was going to be quick and I was just happy to see that it was under the qualifying time.
"When I saw the time it was just a massive relief. When you go into a race like that with a time to achieve and you do it, it's a real sense of happiness."
Also qualifying for the women's 200m breaststroke was Abbey Harkin (2:23.59).
"When I got to turn and see my coach Richard Scarce and his reaction, that was probably the most special part," Strauch said.
"While we are the ones in the pool who do the work, your coach is the one there every day working with you and it was just so special to share the moment with him.
"I've been with Richard for five years now and we have a very close bond as coach and athlete."
The only disappointment on the night for Strauch - who has been based on the Gold Coast at Bond University for the past five years - was that her family, parents Dean and Jane and brothers Tom and Ryan, were unable to be in Adelaide due to travel regulations.
"That was the hardest part and the biggest challenge I've had to overcome not having my family here this week," Strauch said.
"Unfortunately, they couldn't get over here due to the lockdown and border restrictions, so we had to swallow that pill. It has been tough not having them here to share this moment with them and I can't wait to see them."
Strauch's dad, Dean, couldn't be more prouder of his daughter's achievement in realising her Olympic dream that started with the Bendigo East Swimming Club.
"As a family we're incredibly proud of Jenna. She stepped up and performed really well when she needed to and we're just so happy for her," Dean said.
"She has put in a lot of hard work and it's great to see her get this reward. Something like this doesn't just happen overnight, she has been chipping away for a long time and as a family we've really enjoyed supporting her.
"It was obviously disappointing we couldn't be there in Adelaide, but she adjusted to that and got her head around that and did a terriffic job.
"As parents it's real now that your daughter is going to represent Australia at the Olympics, but also tough knowing that we won't be able to be over there to watch it.
"Unfortunately, that's the way the world is at the moment."
With her selection locked in, Strauch will now embark on both individual and team training before departing for Tokyo ahead of the Olympics, which will be held from July 23 to August 8.
The heats of the women's 200m breaststroke are slated for the night session on Wednesday, July 28. The semi-finals will be held in the day session on Thursday, July 29, followed by the final on Friday, July 30.
COACH PRAISES STRAUCH'S COMPOSURE
JENNA Strauch's coach has praised her composure following the swim that cemented her position on the Australian Olympic team on Wednesday night.
Bendigo's Strauch won the women's 200m breaststroke final inside the Olympic qualifying time at the Australian Swimming Titles in Adelaide in a performance that left a strong impression on her coach, Richard Scarce.
"I'm very happy for her. Jenna has worked very hard and been with the group (Bond University swim team) for about five years now," Scarce said post-race.
"She has stayed loyal and deserves this more than anything. She stayed so composed and I'm very proud of her."
Strauch won the final in a personal best time of 2:23.12 that was well inside the Olympic qualifying time of 2:24.18.
Earlier in the week Strauch had narrowly missed qualifying for the team in the women's 100m breaststroke when she finished third in the final.
"There was a little bit of disappointment a couple of night ago, but to her credit, she got back on the horse very quickly going for our main event and just stayed so composed and that's all you can ask for," Scarce said.
"She did a great job of trusting in the process and doing the work and it has come off.
"Swimming is a brutal, tough qualifying sport, so credit to all the athletes."
Scarce has coached Strauch for the past five years after the 24-year-old had earlier first taken up the sport with the Bendigo East Swimming Club.
"I swam at Bendigo East for years, so it's my home pool," Strauch said.
"I did all my childhood swimming at Bendigo East up until I left Bendigo in 2012 and that's where my love of swimming came from. Bendigo East will always have a special place in my heart, that's for sure.
"Getting to the Olympics has always been a goal. To be able to say I've been able to do that is a massive achievement and I'm really proud, but the job is only half done."
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