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arfon masters
swimming club
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arfon masters swimming club |
Recent Events & Results
(NOTE: To prevent this page growing too big, news items are now linked from the heading. So click on the underlined heading to see full details, results and photos).
GB Masters, Ponds Forge, Sheffield
Three Arfon Masters swimmers competed in the recent ASA GB Masters Swimming Championships held in Sheffield.
A staggering performance by Stel Farrar (50, from Dinorwig) saw her break Welsh records in 200m, 400, 800m and 1500m freestyle; set a new British Record in the 1500m freestyle beating the current European champion on the way and twice broke the British Record for 800m freestyle. Jason Cordingley (37 from Gaerwen) and Oggy East (42, from Menai Bridge) also competed and set a number of personal best performances.
Stel knocked nearly 28 seconds off the 1500m prevous record touching in 20:02.09 and broke the 800m record on the way to victory on the Friday afteroon session. Stel went on to lower the record again by a further 3 seconds on the Sunday setting a new time of 10:33.31.
“It was magical,” she said. “About six months ago I hit a plateau and my times were getting slower so I thought I had lost my chance for a British record. But Friday was a good day and it felt good as I was swimming. I was ahead of the woman who just won the European championships so I knew I must be doing well. I’m really please I didn’t just scrape under the record.”
"It was the high point of swimming for me and I have to say that without the support of my fellow Arfon Masters team mates, the experience would have been flat. Oggy and Jason swam great, there is mega competition in their age groups, I'm just lucky to be old and mad enough to want to do 1500 and 800 events!"
Stel also won silver in 400 freestyle and 200 butterfly and picked up bronze medals in the 200m individual medley and 100m backstroke.
Arfon Masters Open Gala, 26th September, 2009
Halton Masters, 5th September 2009
Bridget Edwards and Jason Cordingley attended this early season gala while the rest of us were still enjoying the summer break! They both got a great buzz out of competing again and both achieved 1st, 2nd and 3rd places in their races so well done! They should be in great condition for our gala on 26th September.
Bridget was 2nd in 50m FS with a time of 44.79, 2nd in 100m Back Stroke 1:54.30, 3rd in 100m IM 2:05.63, 1st in 50m Breast 54.05, 4th in `100m FS 1:45.72, 1st in 50m Back Stroke 54.00 and 3rd in 100 Breast 2:03.60
Jason was 4th in 400m FS 6:41.22, 1st in 100m Back Stroke 1:36.51, 5th in 100m IM 1:33.18, 4th in 100m Fly 1:33.66, 2nd in 200m IM 3:26.55, 7th in 50m Fly 41.02, 3rd in 50m Back Stroke 46.08
The 2009 Open Water Swims
Sadly both the Pier to Pier and the Cross Straits open water swims had to be cancelled this year due to insufficient entries for the Pier Swim and adverse weather for the Straits Swim. This was particularly tragic as Anthony Howland had just taken over from Jenny as Race Organiser. Many thanks to him and the other members of the sub-committee for all the hard work they had put in. BUT the party still went ahead! Thanks to Colette for hosting that and next year the summer's going to be fantastic!!
NW Masters, Blackpool, 4th July 2009
Oggy and Jason bravely represented the club against strong opposition at this Blackpool event. All good experience! Well done.
GB Masters, Cardiff, 19th-21st June, 2009
Three Arfon Masters swimmers travelled south to the new Cardiff International Pool to join 600 other competitors for the Great British Championships. This premier event for masters swimmers in the UK saw many new standards set, including 2 World and several European records. Helen Hughes (67) from Tregarth continued her excellent form she displayed at the Welsh Championships earlier in th year to claim silver medals in the 200m backstroke and 200 Individual Medley, setting Welsh records in both events. Helen also gained 4th places in three other events and set further Welsh records for 50m freestyle, 50m butterfly and 50m backstroke.
Helen has recently returned to competitive swimming after a 5 year break and said "It was a great experience to swim in the GB championships and get 2 silver medals. A feat never before achieved in over 20 years of racing!"
Stel Farrar from Dinorwig competing in the 50-55 age group claimed a bronze medal for her 200m backstroke and 200m freestyle swims and collected a hard fought silver medal in the 1500m freestyle. Like Helen, Stel was also in record breaking form, setting new Welsh standards in three events; the 200m backstroke and both the 100m and 200m freestyle.
Oggy East (42) from Menai Bridge also had a successful weekend setting new personal bests in the 100m, 200m and 400m freestyle and the 50m breaststroke. Oggy commented "the standard of the competition was very high and it's great to compete against some of the best swimmers in the country; it makes all the training worthwhile when you come away having swum faster than ever before."
All three swimmers would like to take the opportunity to thank their coaches Darren Brame, Jenny Shaw and Andy Waterhouse.
Photo and account by Oggy East
Jenny's Party, 16th May at Mair and Marty's House, 2009
Jenny doing her official bit at the Afon Gala this year.
We were all gutted when Jenny anounced her retirement from the club after serving as Head Coach since the early 1990's. She will be sorely missed as she inspired so many of us to take up swimming seriously. She put a great deal of time and effort into improving our swimming and developing the club and we're all really grateful to her but wish her the best in developing her career in swimming further.
Every cloud has a silver lining and at least we had a great party out of it. Mair and Marty hosted it with assistance from other members. Both present and past members attended and a collage of club photos was presented to Jenny along with some crystal and flowers as a leaving present. Our President, Mike Dilworth gave a small speech and there was plenty of drink and food. Unfortunately our new coach, Andy Waterhouse didn't make it as he couldn't find the house!! Also the party photos seem to have been lost! Still all who found it had a great time.
Welsh Open, Swansea, 27th, 28th February and 1st March, 2009
Six of our top swimmers represented the club at this 50m top Welsh swimming event in the national pool at Swansea. Claire, Stel, Helen, Bridget, Allison and Baz broke records, got PB's, won medals and had a great time in the process. Stel swam especially well in her gruelling 1500m swim and broke several Welsh records in the process! Helen made a great come-back and also broke Welsh records!
Here are Helen's thoughts on the
competition:
The Meet was very enjoyable, a lovely
pool with plenty of
seating space,
lockers, showers etc.
We all had
some good swims, enough
to raise
our
spirits
among the
disappointments.
Bridget's swims were all PB's, and
her breaststroke looked
wonderfully
smooth.
Stell was
there for the
Friday
only, having
travelled down
on a
early train with
Andy.She swam
one
race (1500m
f/c)
and
broke
5 Welsh
records in the
course of it.
The
weather on
Saturday
and
Sunday was
fine, and a visiting
small boy, 8 month old
Osian (my
first
grandchild) pleased
all the
mums among us!
It was
good to be back, after a
gap of
5
years,
meeting old friends
and
competitors. Baz introduced us to
a man who had
swum the 100m (yds?)
backstroke for GB at
the 1948
Olympics in
London. He was still
competing!
Welsh Records for 2008
In the LC Female results Arfon Masters hold an amazing 36 records with Edna Dilworth still holding onto 21 of those. What a brilliant swimmer she was! Colette, Gill, Helen and Stel hold the rest between them.
The same swimming talent features in the SC Female records but they are also joined by Claire Wilson and Ann Watham. Well done ladies!
The men also did the club proud with Baz holding a brilliant 8 LC records and 7 SC records. Mike Dilworth also holds one LC record and Baz is joined by Colin Herbert, Keith Rothwell and Anthony Howland who each hold one record in the SC tables. Great swimming guys!
Arfon Masters now has 6 swimmers in the top ten GB rankings for 2008 for short course competition - Claire Wilson, Gill Windle, Stel Farrar, Jan Albin, Helen Hughes and Ann Watham. Stel was 1st in the 1500 Freestyle in her year and Ann was 1st in 200m IM. Amazing!
We also have have 4 swimmers in the GB top ten for long course competition - Allison Donnelly, Gill Windle, Stel Farrar and Baz Owen. Stel was first again in the 1500 Freestyle and also 800 and 400 in the same stroke. Baz was first in the 400 IM, 200 Breaststroke and 100 Butterfly. Congratulations and well done to you all!
Shrewsbury New Year Gala, 10th January,
2009
Three men, Keith
Rothwell, Oggy
East and Jason
Cordingley and
six female swimmers,
Jan Albin,
Allison
Donnelly, Bridget
Edwards,
Louise Jones, Lucy Rothwell
and Christine
Slater, got the
year
off to
a great start...
South Yorkshire
Gala,
Ponds Forge,
Sheffield, 7th
December,
2008
Our two
keen, competitive
swimmers
Jason
Cordingley and
Oggy
East
attended this gala and
their
swimming keeps
improving! Download DM
results
Christmas Dinner at Blue Sky, Bangor, 6th December,
2008
Thirty-one of us attended
this year's
Christmas
dinner and we
all had a
great time
in the
newly refurbished Blue
Sky...