Milton teen named to Ontario Swimming Academy

A spark of anxiety surfaces as Martin Marinov reads through the email.
An invitation to an elite-level swim program — and the lofty expectations that come with that — tend to have that effect on a young athlete.

“I was having lunch at school when I got the email from coach Jamie (Brough). I’ll admit I freaked out a bit,” recalled the 17-year-old Milton Marlin standout, of being officially welcomed into the brand new Ontario Swimming Academy, based out of the new Scarborough Pan Am Games facility and established to provide topnotch training for those identified with Olympic final potential, based on a comparison of their times with those of former Canadian Olympians when they were that age. “For a moment there I was like ‘Ahhhh’ and asked him ‘Should I be excited about this?’ Then I calmed down when I realized they were offering this invitation for a reason.”

That’s no hollow sentiment, given the strides Marinov has made in recent years — which culminated with a 23.31-second effort in the short course 50-freestyle at last season’s Speedo Eastern Canadian Championships.

This qualified him for this past spring’s Commonwealth Games Trials in Victoria and put him on the national-level coaches’ collective radar.

It was while out west that Marinov heard the initial buzz about his potential inclusion in the soon-to-be started academy, which will be the legacy of the Pan Am Games.

But being considered for the opportunity and actually receiving it — he stressed — are two very different things.

“It (invitation) was a real smack in the face. This is real now,” said the Milton District High School student, who came to competitive swimming a bit later than many — at 13 — and after a less-than-stellar start has worked his way up to the national stage. One of just two Marlins to ever reach the national team trials, he’s one of about a dozen academy members in the 16-and-17-year-old sprint category (50 and 100m freestyle/butterfly) and among an overall field of 113. “The idea of this is fantastic. I’ve been working so hard for years and that’s led me to this. To be told I have this kind of potential is great.”

Marinov’s first of four two-and-a-day sessions with the academy — designed to complement his hometown club training — came earlier this week.

Admittedly overwhelming at first by a flurry of advice, information and video analysis, the local swimmer is encouraged about what this extra training can mean for his overall potential.

And that eagerness hasn’t been lost on his new instructor.

“Martin has come in this environment ready to learn,” said academy coach Dean Boles, a provincial mentor coach for Swim Ontario. “He’s eager to be the best he can be and with this added focus we believe his home training will go up a notch or two and that may be the difference in trying to catch the world.”

Although already knowing full well how coachable his Olympic hopeful is, Brough loves hearing that from others like Boles.

“It’s a fantastic thing to hear. Martin’s never been one to think he knows it all. He’s always just saying ‘OK’. If I tell him to do 100 push-ups, he’s like ‘OK’. He’d only ask how fast do I need to do them, not why do I need to do them.”

Pointing to a shorter/quicker underwater kick and a slightly shorter stroke count as specific areas for improvement, Marinov feels improving on his 23.31 short-course freestyle personal best is definitely within reach in the coming season.

“I know with enough training I can beat that. They (academy staff) threw a lot at me in that first session in terms of what I need to work on with my dives and turns, but they want to see me excel and hopefully I can represent my country some day.”