Jenna Strauch heads to Commonwealth Games with two silver medals from World Championships – صحيفة الصوت

When Jenna Strauch was training at the Bendigo East Swim Club, she was known for her drive and commitment.

Now, these traits may help her add to her medal collection at the upcoming Commonwealth Games despite stiff competition. 

The 25-year-old is competing in the 200m breaststroke, 100m breaststroke and 50m breaststroke in the Games, which start on Thursday in Birmingham.

“It’s pretty jam-packed this year. 200 is still obviously sort of my main event, but I’m feeling quite strong in the other events, too,” she said.

Strauch has spent several weeks in Europe ahead of a busy start to the Commonwealth Games.

“The 50 is on day one. Then we have heat, semis and finals for that one,” she said.

“Then the 200 is on day three, and then day four the 100 starts.

Regardless of what happens at the Games, Strauch will return home with a heavy bag after she won two silver medals at the FINA World Championships in Budapest last month.

“I feel like I’ve got pretty good form going into the Commonwealth Games.”

Strauch’s world championship silver was in the 200m breaststroke and as part of the medley relay team.

“I’m excited to see if I can take learnings from the world champs and put them into place here,” she said.

After the world championships, the 25-year-old went straight to a staging camp in France before travelling to Birmingham for the Commonwealth Games.

Strauch said she felt strong going into the Games but admitted she would be facing tough competition in her main event, in South African world record holder Tatjana Schoenmaker.

“I do have some pretty serious competition here,” she reflected.  

“There are a few Americans and other European countries missing that would normally be here, but any chance to race a world record holder is pretty special.”

Success inspires next generation

In her Olympic debut in Tokyo last year, Strauch missed out on qualifying for the 200m breaststroke final by an agonising half a second.

When Strauch was growing up in Bendigo, she trained at the Bendigo East Swim Club.

Head coach John Jordan said young local swimmers were being inspired by the Olympian’s success on the world stage.

“For her to medal at the world championships and be in the top few in the world certainly generates some excitement and some enthusiasm,” he said.

Jordan said he would be one of many locals eagerly watching Strauch and cheering her on at the Commonwealth Games.

“She was certainly very committed, very goal driven at a very early age,” he said.

The former Bendigo East swimming champion moved to Queensland in 2016 but said she hoped to come back to Bendigo to visit family in September.