Pini swims on

By PETER PUSAL
PAPUA New Guinea swim legend Ryan Pini has not ruled out competing at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.
After winning seven gold medals at the 2015 Pacific Games in Port Moresby, the 35-year-old scaled down his training, with an eye on retirement post-Games and confirmed his retirement from the Olympics.
However, with the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games only 12 months away, Pini said he would represent the country, provided he swam the qualifying time for the 50-metre butterfly and stayed fit and healthy.  He saidd he would also base his decision to compete on his medal-winning ability.
“I’m still available to swim for PNG at the 2018 Commonwealth Games,” Pini said.
“I’m still ranked highly in the 50m butterfly.
“I’d swim for PNG provided there was a good chance I’d medal.
“If I wasn’t in medal contention, I’d have to reconsider whether it was worth it or not,” Pini said.
The Port Moresby-born and raised Pini said he was still active in masters competitions in Australia and the region and he felt his form was still good enough to warrant selection for PNG.
“I’m still involved in the sport. I do a lot of masters competitions and I keep an interest in swimming; representing PNG is something I would do but only if I feel good and if it’s for the right reasons.
“I wouldn’t just compete for the sake of competing.”
PNG Swimming Incorporated president Elizabeth Wells, pictured, said although Pini was in the early retirement phase of his career, highlighted by his preference for masters competition and the lighter demands of his training regime, he was still PNG’s best swimmer.
“He’s still our fastest swimmer. He never retired completely from competitive swimming even though he’s at an age when most elite athletes start to wind down,” Wells said.
“Ryan won’t be competing at another Olympics but if he swims qualifying times for the Commonwealth Games then he will represent PNG.”
She added that Pini fell into the masters category of 35-39 years and could continue swimming at masters level well into his 90s.
“After the age of 25 swimmers can compete in masters events in age categories of five years. They can continue swimming well into their 90s,” Wells said.
In swimming terms, 35-years is regarded as advanced age if an athlete is still involved in high level competition and Pini said he would re-evaluate his position at the end of the year depending on his form and fitness.
“As far as qualifying for the Commonwealth Games goes, the PNG Olympic Committee has set some high standards. I’ll know for sure before the end of the year.
“I’m feeling pretty good, better than before the 2012 Olympics. I’ve got less volume in the water but I’ve never felt better.
“The 50m fly is less harsh on the shoulders and although I’m not too sure about the qualifying time, I was ranked 14th in the world last year, so I guess at Commonwealth level that puts me at around third or fourth, and if I can beat my current personal best which is 23.68 then I think I’ll be a chance to medal.”
Pini said competing at the next Pacific Games in 2019 was a long term consideration but he envisioned not playing a dominant role on the team as he had in the past.
“In a Pacific Games team there are more members in the (swim) team and I’d see myself playing more of a support role in the relays and that kind of thing. But having said that I’ll still have to see how my body holds up after 2018 to make a decision,” Pini said.
Wells confirmed that Pini would not be competing at the FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, from July 14-30 but would instead take part in the FINA World masters event, also in Hungary from Aug 7-20, where he would attempt to swim a qualifying time.