Kalate off to Queensland short-course championships

WITH seven weeks to go with the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Lae-based swimmer Leonard Kalate, pictured, is set to finalise his preparations as the competition approaches.
Kalate is not new to the international stage as he has represented Papua New Guinea at this year’s Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast and at the 2016 Oceania Games, last year’s Asian Indoor & Martial Arts Games as well as the 2015 Pacific Games.
Kalate left this week to compete at the Queensland Short Course Championships at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre (today to Sunday) and will compete in the 15-18 years boys 50m freestyle, 100m breaststroke, 50m butterfly, 100m freestyle, 50m breastroke and the men’s open 50m freestyle.
He will be coached by Rob Van Der Zant from Yeronga Park Swim Club at the championships and Kalate will also stay for an extra week after the meet training under Van Der Zant to improve his fitness and boost his preparations for Argentina.
Van Der Zant has a long history working with PNG swimmers, coaching the team at multiple international events such as the Commonwealth Games, Asian Indoor & Martial Arts Games, Oceania Championships and the Pacific Games.
Kalate is the only PNG representative at the Queensland Championships.
Racing at the championships on the weekend gives him a good opportunity to see how his preparations are going so far and to lower his personal bests in the lead up to the Youth Olympic Games.