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Swim England National Open Water Age Group Championships 2019

August 10, 2019   By


Strong winds forced the abandonment of the opening day of the 2018 Swim England National Open Water Age Group Championships; this year blue-green algae resulting in lake closure in the Rother Valley Country Park meant that fast action was needed to ensure this year’s event could even take place. This came as a second blow to Dorset swimmers who had already experienced the Swim England South West Open Water Championships at Weymouth being cancelled in July due to water temperature, and who had then to travel to the Midlands Open Water Championships at Nottingham’s Holme Pierrepont National Water Sports Centre to be able to qualify for the national competition. A last minute move, however, to Thrybergh Country Park in Rotherham meant the Championships took place on Monday 5 August with nine Dorset swimmers making the journey north to compete in either 2km (12/13 years), 3km (14/15 years) or 5km events according to age.

Poole’s Thea O’Keefe was the highest placed Dorset competitor finishing in 5th place with a time of 1:06.54 in the 19 Years Girls 5km event, while Teagan-Mae Graham (Poole) placed 8th in 1:04.39 in the 17/18 Years of the same event. In the 15 Years Girls 3km Poole’s Alex Palotai-Avella and Aimie Quarrie placed 9th and 12th in times of 39.02 and 39.08 respectively, while Harriet Fish (Swim Bournemouth) finished 17th with a time of 39.25 in the 14 Years age group.

Seagull’s Sonny Chamberlain-Hyde was Dorset’s highest placed male competitor finishing 11th in the 16 Years Boys 5km in 59.11, while Miles Ward (Poole) finished 14th in the same age group in 1:00.36 and James Richardson (Seagulls) also finished 14th in the 17/18 Years age group in 59.49. Finally, Poole’s Xavier West finished 20th in 28.06 in the 13 Years Boys 2km event.

The Swim England Open Water National Masters Championships will take place at Nene Park in Peterborough on 1 September 2019.

Lyme Regis water polo weekend a big success

August 10, 2019   By


Having brought back water polo to Lyme Regis only three years ago, the 2019 Lyme Splash UK Sea Water Polo Championships has gone from strength to strength with another successful weekend when nearly 500 players and supporters took part in the event at the historic Cobb Harbour. During the weekend over 40 games were played in two floating pitches by 18 teams coming from as far afield as Newquay, Aberdare and Southampton and which included nine Women’s teams and two mixed Amateur “taster” teams.

Winner of the Women’s event was Southampton Sirens with Welsh Warriors as runners-up, while Valley Dragons/Cwm Draig won the Men’s event with Exeter & Taunton as runners-up. Winner of the Amateur matches was Lyme Launchers with runners-up Lyme Luggers. Sponsors Annie and Sam Hanbury of Baboo Gelato presented water bottles to the winners and medals to both winners and runners up. Players enjoyed camping over the weekend at Haye Farm and a BBQ together at The Power Boat Club, with raffle prizes from Wyvern Water Polo, finishing off with a wonderful firework display.

“We certainly exceeded expectations!” said Karen Durham-Diggins, Founder of Lyme Splash UK. “The Harbour Masters, volunteers, Swim England referees, officials and Fred Fowler from Bridport Barracudas Swimming Club all deserve a special mention. Our new goal posts from Lyme Regis Town Council’s grant had their first outing too and performed excellently! We’ve heard from people who have watched the games last year sign up to clubs and we are intending to add friendly games during the year as well as the Championship next year. We’ll be trying to get together a youth team soon. More details will be announced soon. Water Polo is back on the map in Lyme Regis!”

Lyme Splash is a not-for-profit organisation run by volunteers held as part of Lyme Regis Carnival and Regatta is the only Water Polo Sea Championship in the UK. This year’s charities were BSharp and Plastic Free Lyme Regis.

Regional Volunteer of the Month

August 9, 2019   By


A familiar face often seen wielding the announcer’s microphone at Dorset County ASA competitions, Joe O’Keefe of Poole Swimming Club has now received the award of Regional Volunteer of the Month for July for his professional approach to the task and going that extra mile at the South West Region Championships in Plymouth this year, as well as at Millfield in previous years.

Always willing to step up when no-one else wants to undertake the task as announcer at both County and Regional level, and playing an integral part in ensuring the professional delivery and flow of those extremely busy and fast paced competitions to a very high standard, Joe’s recognition as a highly valued volunteer has been well deserved. Congratulations Joe!

 

British Summer Championships 2019

August 1, 2019   By


The six-day 2019 British Summer Championships ended at Tollcross ISC in Glasgow on 28 July with Dorset swimmers bringing home five British Nationals medals. Poole SC’s Robbie Hemmings undoubtedly had one of the best weeks of his life clocking up ten personal best times throughout the competition and culminating in a gold medal in each of the 15 Years 100m and 200m Backstroke events with times of 57.86 and 2:06.16 respectively, the latter knocking almost four seconds from his entry time, together with a bronze medal in the 50m Backstroke (27.18). With a few months to go before his fifteenth birthday, times achieved in the 50m and 100m Backstroke events also set new British Age Group Records for the 14 Years age group, while Hemmings also made the final of the 200m Individual Medley knocking a full four secs from his entry time to finish fourth on 2:11.71, as well as the 50m Butterfly final placing sixth on 26.36.

Oliver Fairman earned himself a gold medal and new Dorset Senior Record (LC) in the 17/18 Years 100m Backstroke with a time of 56.60 setting new pbs in both heats and finals, together with a bronze medal in the 200m Backstroke with a time of 2:03.00 (pb). Fairman also finished fifth in the 50m Backstroke final in 26.65 (pb).

Alex Bryant (Poole) earned his highest position of the Championships finishing fourth in the final of the 50m Backstroke (26.61), just a place ahead of teammate Oli Fairman, while Seagull’s Sonny Chamberlain-Hyde reached the finals of the 16 Years 100m Backstroke and 200m Backstroke to place tenth and eighth with pb’s of 1:00.50 and 2:09.41 respectively. In the 13/14 Years 200m Breaststroke Connor Cherrington (Swim Bournemouth) retained his ninth place from the heats to finish in the same spot in the final but having pb’d in both to prune his entry time from 2:37.63 to a creditable 2:33.73. Last male Dorset finalist of the Championships was Nathan Moorey (South Dorset/Chard) who finished ninth in the final of the 16 Years 50m Butterfly with a time of 26.56.

In the girls events, Tanya Blanchard (Wareham) and Phoebe Kelman-Johns (Swim Bournemouth) both made the finals of the 50m Breaststroke with Blanchard placing eighth in the 16 Years final in 33.81 and Kelman-Johns finishing fifth in 32.67 (pb) in the 17/18 Years age group. Kelman-Johns also made the final of the 100m Breaststroke finishing in sixth place with a time of 1:12.42. Swim Bournemouth’s Ella Chown qualified for the final of the 16 Years 50m Butterfly finishing in eighth place in a time of 28.42 (pb).

This year’s Championships qualifiers ranked nationally 1-24 in each event and age group came from Dorset clubs were as follows: Bournemouth Collegiate (Oni Taiwo, Ben Samuel), Poole (Alex Bryant, Alex Chiriac, Catherine Eland, Oliver Fairman, Robbie Hemmings, Thea O’Keefe, Ella McNamara and Abbie Quarrie with relay swimmers Ollie Cleal, Ben Cutbush, Teagan-Mae Graham, Jasmine Holmes, Isabelle Hepburn and Fiona Hardie), Sherborne Storm (Alice Holloway), Swim Bournemouth (Amy Brown, Connor Cherrington, Ella Chown, George Kelman-Johns and Phoebe Kelman-Johns), Seagulls (Sonny Chamberlain-Hyde and Isaac Ellis), Tornadoes of South Dorset (Nathaniel Moorey and Harry Stewart) and Wareham & District (Tanya Blanchard).

Photo: Dorset’s 2019 British Summer Championships medallists Oli Fairman (left) and Robbie Hemmings with Poole Head Coach Barry Alldrick.

 

Summer Skills Camp 2019

May 16, 2019   By


Swim England South West Region is again running its’ annual residential Summer Skills Camp this summer at Bryanston School, Dorset. This successful camp has been running for many years by experienced and dedicated volunteers who strive to ensure that swimmers attending the event have a valuable and enjoyable experience learning more about how to improve their own swimming performance.

The camp is technique-focused on strokes, starts and turns to develop knowledge and competence. A typical day at the camp would usually consist of two pool sessions of up to a total of three hours depending on ability and age, together with a land conditioning session again specific to age and ability. There will be a GB swimmer in attendance for two days working with all swimmers, together with group activities including lectures and team building. Evening activities include team games and quizzes.

This camp is ideal for those swimmers who are performing around County Level, offering the opportunity to learn in a fun, safe and supportive environment and have access to an array of expertise. In addition to learning more about swimming performance, and with the opportunity to meet swimmers from around the region, participants are also able to build on their social and emotional development as well as begin to learn independence and responsibility for their own swimming and personal development.

The residential camp will take place 11-17 August 2019 and costs £395. Closing date for applications 1 June 2019, together with a £50.00 deposit. Payment details will be provided after completing the booking form. For further information contact Paul Sartain paul.sartain@btinternet.com or Neil Harper neil.harper9999@gmail.com