“First place, Sienna Bautista!”
Six times this rang out over the loud speaker at Liverpool’s Whitlam Leisure Centre as the 2021 Zone 6 Swimming Carnival’s swimming sensation picked up blue ribbon after blue ribbon.
Her podium sweep began with the Senior Girls 100-metre Freestyle in which she left her closest rival more than 10 seconds behind.
“I’ve improved a lot this year; improving my times and strokes with different strategies and training,” said Bautista.
Sienna Bautista at the Zone 6 Swimming Carnival. Photo: Natalie Roberts
The improvements were telling.
She also finished first in the Senior Girls 50-metre Freestyle, 50-metre Backstroke, 50-metre Breaststroke, 50-metre Butterfly and 200-metre Individual Medley events.
The only race that got away from the John the Baptist Bonnyrigg Heights student was the Relay.
“I won six events but the Relay didn’t go the way we planned,” said Bautista, whose favourite event is the Breaststroke.
She said the Butterfly is “definitely my least favourite” event.
At the Zone 6 Swimming Carnival her Butterfly event went down to the wire. But the Year 6 student held off her opponent to win by 1.1 seconds!
In only her second competitive year as a swimmer, Bautista has high hopes for 2021.
“I expect to win my events at the Sydney Archdiocesan Swimming Carnival and then move on to the Mackillop trials,” she said.
“One day I would like to be an Olympian and go to the Olympics,” Bautista added.
By: NIKOLA POZDER
