By JARROD POTTER
TOORADIN tyro Josh Beaver is off to Russia after sealing his spot on the Australian Dolphins World Championships Swim Team.
Firing out of lane five in the Australian Swimming Championships 200-metre backstroke final, held at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre (SOPAC) last night (Wednesday), Beaver had to battle his Commonwealth Games’ team-mate Mitch Larkin and TigerSharks training partner Matson Lawson to earn a place in the Australian team.
Needing a fast finish to qualify for the FINA World Swimming Championships, held this year in Kazan, Russia, Casey TigerSharks swimmer latched on to gold medallist Larkin (1.55.52) and didn’t let him out of his sight.
Beaver’s 1.56.48 scorched the required time to earn his spot in the green-and-gold once again as he finished second to earn his place on the Dolphins team once again.
It follows up a stellar 2014 for the backstroke dynamo as Beaver won three medals at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
Lawson (2.00.53) finished fifth in the 200m backstroke final.
The World Championships run from 24 July to 9 August.
