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Open water

ASA National Open Water Festival Results

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The ASA’s first Open Water Festival took place 23-24th July in Rother Valley County Park, Sheffield. The event included the National Masters and Age Group Championships as well as the 1,500m Open Water Challenge.

The South East was well represented with swimmers from all over the Region in both the Age Groups and the Masters events here are just some of the highlights:

National Masters Open Water Championships 1.5k

  • Female 35-39 3rd Michelle Matson (Basingstoke)
  • Female 45-49 2nd Janette Cardy (Co Oxford)
  • Female 60-64 3rd Shelley Robinson (Sevenoaks)
  • Male 25-29 3rd Nick Isaacson (Crawley)
  • Male 30-34 1st Christopher Johansen (Co Oxford)
  • Male 35-39 3rd Sam Chadwick (Godalming)
  • Male 55-59 2nd Terry Wright (Bracknell)
  • Male 60-65 1st Andrew Huckle (Wycombe District)
  • Male 60-65 2nd Bernard Stone (RTW Masters)
  • Male 75-79 1st Michael Read (Brighton)

National Masters Open Water Championships 3k

  • Female 45-49 2nd Clare Chilton (Mid Sussex)
  • Female 45-49 3rd Kim Fenner (RTW Masters)
  • Female 65-69 1st Valerie McLaren (Crawley)
  • Male 30-34 3rd Christopher Johansen (Co Oxford)
  • Male 35-39 2nd Peter Gleed (Co Milton Keynes)
  • Male 60-64 1st Andrew Huckle (Wycombe District)
  • Male 60-64 3rd Bernard Stone (RTW Masters)
  • Male 70-74 2nd Graham Ling (Hythe)
  • Male 75-79 1st Michael Read (Brighton)

ASA National Age Group Championships 1.5k

Boys 12 Years

  • 1st Elijah Kendrick – Shiverers
  • 2nd Charles Hazell – Windsor

Boys 13 Years

  • 2nd Jordon McPhail – Guildford City

ASA National Age Group Championships 3k

Girls 15 Years 

  • 1st Maisie Macartney – Thanet Swim
  • 2nd Emilia Sansome – Wycombe District

ASA National Age Group Championships 5k

Girls 17/18

  • 3rd Sophie Millen – Wycombe District

Girls 19+

  • 3rd Chloe Pollard – East Grinstead

For more information and to see the full results please click here.

 

Swimsafe Information 2016

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Most swimming lessons take place in an indoor pool, so this summer why not  give your children the chance to improve their skills at the beach or at a  lakeside location?

The ASA, the national governing body for swimming in England, and the RNLI,  the charity that saves lives at sea, are providing a unique opportunity for all  7-14 year olds.

This summer they have the chance to take part in a fun, practical, interactive swimming session at beach and lakeside locations across the country – and learn all about how to stay safe.

Each 40 minute session is completely FREE and includes safety advice  provided by RNLI lifeguards and up to 30 minutes in-water tuition with ASA accredited swimming teachers.

Fenella Beach and Peel Lifeboat Station, 

Isle of Man

8 August – 12 August

Millerground / Rayrigg Meadow, Windermere  25 July – 13 August (except Sundays)

Plas Menai National Outdoor Centre, Caernarfon,

North Wales

15 July – 17 July

Rother Valley, Sheffield 23 July – 24 July

Sandbanks and Shore Road, Poole

30 July – 18 August (except Fridays)

Sandhaven Beach, South Shields

3 August – 20 August (Wednesday – Saturday only) Scarborough Lifeboat Station, South Bay,

Scarborough

15 August – 19 August

St Brelade’s Bay, Jersey 7 August – 12 August

Summerleaze Beach / Sea Pool, Bude

26 July – 25 August (Tuesday – Thursday only)

Tinside Lido, Plymouth

Every Friday 29 July – 26 August

Whitmore Bay, Barry Island, South Wales

28, 29 July and 12 – 14 August

 

Visit swimming.org/swimsafe to book your place, or at any venue on the day.

Children must be able to swim at least 25 metres to take part.

Parents or carers must be present during the session.

Farnham Swimmer Richard Allen Takes the Gold Medal in the Triathlon England National Aquathon Championships

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Following an injury packed year, Farnham Swimming Club and Surrey and South East Region ASA swimmer Richard Allen competed today in a full field in the Triathlon England National Aquathlon Championships at Roundhay Park & Leeds City Centre in Leeds, Yorkshire. The Aquathlon is a grueling combination of a 750m Open Water swim followed by a full 5,000m off track run and the event is part of the ITU World Triathlon Series 2016.

Richard started well stroking into the lead in the swim, finishing the swim leg in 9 minutes and 12 seconds, a full 25 seconds ahead of the second man to leave the water. After a good transfer Richard started the 5,000m run, powering further ahead with every stride, not challenged he dug deep to push himself to a run time of 17 minutes and 41 seconds, some 50 seconds faster than the next fastest runner of the day. With an overall time of 29 minutes and 21 seconds, an amazing 95 seconds ahead of the second finisher, Richard not only became the National Champion in the under 24-year-old category but also the Men’s overall National Champion.

Martin Edwards, former Team GB Olympic swimmer and Head Coach of Farnham Swimming Club, said ‘It’s a testament to Richard dedication and training ethic that he has been able to recover so well from a year of injury to take not only the Under 24 National title but also the Men’s open title. I see this as yet another great success along Richard’s aquatic pathway and a stepping stone to even greater achievements for him.’

Chairman of Farnham Swimming Club, Chris Lee, commented ‘Richard’s achievements continue to amaze and he is a strong Club member and a great mentor which the younger swimmers look to emulate as they progress through their own aquatic pathways. I am delighted for Richard as this result is the product of his unwavering dedication to his training, diet and race preparation. He is a first rate athlete both in and out of the water and a credit to our Club and to aquatic sports. I would like to thank Farnham Sports Council, David Lloyd Leisure and Waverley Borough Council for their training support for Richard over the last few years which has helped to contribute to his success today. I would also like to thank Surrey County ASA and South East Region ASA for their support in the Club Open Water swimming programme which, following today’s success, has resulted in the Club’s second National Champion in an Open Water aquatic event in just 4 years.’

ASA Open Water Festival – 23/24th July at Rother Valley Country Park

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23rd & 24th July – Rother Valley Country Park

 

Includes the following events:

Masters national 1.5k & 3k, 23rd July

Over 18yr 1500m Challenge – anyone can enter. Don’t have to be an ASA member and can wear a wetsuit

Junior and senior National open water events on Sunday 24th

Swimsafe will also be running all weekend for anyone not taking part in the events but want to get used to swimming outdoors.

Closing date for entries is 1st July

For more information please visit the website: www.swimming.org/openwaterfestival

Open Water competitions latest

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The entry pack for the South East Region Open Water Championships, the Regional Open Water calendar and the Conditions for the 2016 ASA Open Water Championships are now available to download.

This year the first 3 finishers in each age group at the Regional Championships will be eligible for entry to the Age Group National Championships at Rother Valley on 24th July.

More information here.

Three World Winter Swimming titles for Ellery McGowan

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The 10th Winter Swimming World Championships were held from 9th to 12th March in Tyumen, Siberia, Russia, the fifth time that Godalming’s Empress of the Ice has taken part in this biannual competition.

The Russians certainly went to a lot of effort, creating a 10 lane, 25m long pool cut out of the frozen Tura River together with excellent facilities for registration and general socialising in the nearby football stadium complex.

IMG_2767With the air temperature starting around minus 12C in the mornings and creeping up to minus 1C at midday, and water hovering between minus 0.2C and plus 0.3C, these were true cold water swimming conditions. Fears of having to brave Siberian blizzards proved groundless as the swimmers were fortunate enough to have beautiful clear days with bright blue skies and little wind.

Competitors waited for their races in a warm tent near the start, and after the race was over they would grab a hot fruit tea on the way from the pool for the 150m walk back to the changing tent. It was welcoming to visit one of the mobile saunas or the hot tub to warm up and to hand signal pleasantries with other competitors.

Ellery’s first race was on the Wednesday and after seeing her lane fairly heavily covered in “crushed” ice she was pleasantly surprised to take 3rd place as breaststroke is not her forte.

The freestyle races were the following day and this year included the 100m for the first time. This gave Ellery three races – 25, 50 and 100m – from which she won three gold medals. Her forearms and hands were cut by the ice in her first event as the freezing temperatures caused the ice to reform after each “heat”. Swimming three events in one day, having “cut” wrists attended to after each one and warming up took its toll and Ellery was too tired to go to the evening party at the Hot Springs.

Over 1200 swimmers (predominantly Russian) from 42 countries took part and Ellery’s four medals placed her 11th overall in the final medal table, winning the most medals for a swimmer from the United Kingdom. Moreover these three latest titles bring Ellery’s haul to nine World Titles since 2008.

 

 

Enter the ASA National Masters Open Water Championships

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Are you a competitive Masters swimmer?
Join us at the ASA National Masters Open Water Championships 2016
Saturday 23 July 2016
Rother Valley Country Park, Sheffield
This is your chance to race for national honours.
The Masters 1.5k or 3k events will form part of the new ASA Open Water Festival weekend, so you’ll enjoy a fun, family atmosphere as well as a scenic swim in a rural setting.

Don’t miss out – register your interest today.

New open water swimming experience in Hyde Park

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An exciting mass participation open water event will be taking place in the heart of London on the 24-25 September.

For those looking to experience the open water, Hyde Park offers a memorable first submersion into the world of outdoor swimming. The one-mile swim will take place over 18 waves at regular intervals across the day.

Organised by London Marathon Events, the festival will be taking place in and around the picturesque Serpentine, which was the venue for the open water marathon swims at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Like the London Marathon, entries will be put into a public ballot and drawn at random. The public ballot system for entry into the Swim Serpentine one-mile event is now open and closes on Friday 13 May. Entry costs £39 and it is expected that around 6,000 people will take to the Serpentine to compete.Competitors will be notified if they have been selected to compete. View full entry details.

Prepare yourself for the Tribal Series 2016

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Tribal Series is holding an exciting new Para-swim open water event, the UK’s first mass-participation disability swim event at Dorney Lake in Windsor on the 15 May.

The swim brings together people of all ages and encourages disabled and non-disabled people to take to the iconic waters of Dorney Lake. Many of the swimmers will never have entered a competitive event before.

It doesn’t matter whether you can only swim a length, or if you are a hard-core marathon swimmer, there are solo swims, relays and aquathlons. The shortest swim for novices is 50m, and the furthest solo swim is 750m for more experienced swimmers. For more information please click here.

Helen Mack receives President’s Plate

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Helen Mack, the Regions lead on swim21 and Young Volunteer Programme was awarded the President’s Plate by Regional President Roger Prior at the Region’s Annual Council Meeting in September.

Well known to all clubs in the Region as a ‘go to’ person, Helen’s work also includes organising training courses and keeping us all up to date with our sport in the Region through the monthly Club Update.

She is also involved in looking for funding opportunities to support clubs and volunteers. In addition Helen works with the SER Development Group and has recently started working with discipline groups.

On being presented with the award Helen said: ‘It was a total shock, I had no idea. I thoroughly enjoy my role with the SER and working alongside some amazing and committed volunteers. It is great to work within the sport which gave me so much enjoyment and fulfilment as a swimmer during my time at City of Sheffield SC and I still love to teach as a volunteer for my local club and schools’.

The President’s Plate is awarded annually by the outgoing President.

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