Megan Liang has qualified for the 2012 Paralympic Swim Team Trials which will take place this month. The Paralympic Trials are held in Bismark, North Dakota from June 14-16.
Liang, currently a junior, will be swimming the 500, 400 and 100 meter freestyle races along with the 100 meter backstroke. According to Liang, the time qualifications are “not that hard to achieve.”
According to Liang, if she qualifies for the team she will train this summer at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. “I could potentially [qualify], but I can’t tell,” she said. “It is up to whether or not they want me,” Liang added.
Head Campo Varsity swim coach, Ron Heidary said Liang is dedicated to the team and comes to every practice. Heidary said, “Megan is very committed and also has very great team spirit.”
Liang is in the senior 3/4 group which is the most advanced Orinda Aquatics group, according to Heidary.
Looking to the future, Liang hopes to continue swimming. “I would like to swim after high school and it will most likely be at a Division III school,” said Liang.
The Paralympic Games will be held in London from August 29th to September 9th. According to the London Paralympic Games 2012 website, this year swimming will be the second biggest competition with 600 athletes competing.
According to paralympic.org, the classification for the Paralympic Games includes athletes with visual, physical and intellectual impairments. As in the Olympic Games, the four basic strokes of freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly will be contested.
