WALES SELECTS FIRST WAVE OF SWIMMERS
The Commonwealth Games Council for Wales has announced the first wave of swimmers to be invited to take their seats on the Melbourne-bound plane for the 2006 Commonwealth Games (15-26 March 2006).
They are:
David Davies (City of Cardiff)
Thomas Haffield (City of Cardiff)
Julie Gould (Halesmere)
Bethan Coole (Swansea)
Jazmin Carlin (Tigersharks, Swindon)
Rhiannon Henry (Swansea) - Élite Athlete with a Disability (EAD).
There will be another opportunity to reach the qualifying standard at the second Commonwealth Games swimming qualifier – the Welsh Amateur Swimming Association Open Stage 3 Meet – to will be held at the Wales National Pool in Swansea on December 3-4.
Chef de Mission for Team Wales M2006 Anne Ellis said: “I am delighted to welcome these swimmers into Team Wales. They will join a strong and determined squad who are already in the throws of preparing for the Games.
'To have reached the high qualifying standards is an achievement in itself and we are confident those selected are readily equipped to tackle the Melbourne challenge with vigour in March 2006.”
Robert James, Chief Executive at Welsh Swimming, said: “I am delighted that we have such talented swimmers who have qualified at the first opportunity offered to then at the Commonwealth Trials in August.
“This group have a wealth of experience to call upon. Olympic and World Championship bronze medallist David Davies (20) and our World Student Games representative, Bethan Coole (20) will be joined by Julie Gould (16), Thomas Haffield (17), and Jazmin Carlin (14) who have all represented British Swimming this year.
“Bethan will be making her third Commonwealth outing - she was only 12 years old when she made her debut in the Kuala Lumpur Games in 1998. David will be making his second Games appearance following an impressive debut in Manchester in 2002.”
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The Commonwealth Games Council for Wales has named the first group of swimmers in the swimming squad who will compete in the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

Among the six named is David Davies, Olympic and World Swimming Championships bronze medal winner. The current squad list is:

# David Davies - City of Cardiff
# Thomas Haffield - City of Cardiff
# Julie Gould - Halesmere
# Bethan Coole - Swansea
# Jazmin Carlin - Tigersharks, Swindon
# Rhiannon Henry - Swansea

There will be a second chance to qualify at the Welsh Amateur Swimming Association Open Stage 3 Meet on December 3/4.