Swimming titles kick off huge year of sport for NSW schools

One of the biggest events on the school sport calendar will make a splash at Sydney Olympic Park starting Wednesday when the NSW Primary Schools Sports Association (NSWPSSA) Swimming and Diving Championships begin.

Some 1500 students will compete across 62 able-bodied and multiclass events, assisted by 120 staff and cheered on by an expected 3000 spectators each day at the championships.

A host of future stars have made their mark at the event in years gone by, and with the 2032 Brisbane Games on the horizon, there's the prospect of seeing future Olympians this week.

The two-day event is the first NSW Primary Schools Sports Association event of 2023 and includes organising staff and student competitors from the Government, Catholic and Independent educational sectors.

Participating students have progressed through local school carnivals to zone/district carnivals and regional championships.

The event is being live-streamed, and is expected to attract a local, national and international audience; the 2022 championships attracted in excess of 28,000 views.

Dual Olympian and multiple medallist, Elka Whalan (nee Graham) will join the swimming commentary team for a guest appearance on Day 2 of the championships.

With athletes coming from around the state there are sure to be many great stories of success and inspiration.

A relay team from Wilsons Creek Public School in the Northern Rivers has won through to the championships having placed first at local, district, zone and regional competitions. It's quite the effort from a school of just 23!

There's also Shell Cove Public School's Xavier Wilson, a legally blind swimmer who is competing in three multiclass events.

Multi-talented Xavier wowed plenty of people in 2022 when he competed at the state athletics championships and ran a personal best in the able-bodied 1500 metres.

"The NSWPSSA Swimming and Diving Championship is the culmination of one of numerous high potential and gifted programs run by local school sport Associations throughout the year," said Peter Banks, Leader School Sport Unit.

"It is a wonderful two days of competition and we're delighted it can now be seen by parents, families and friends from around the state, country and globe via our streaming service."

Teams selected from this event will represent NSW at the School Sport Australia Championship, which will be hosted by NSW and held at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre in August.