Open Water and Long Distance Swimming 2008
updated: 8th June 2008 (grandprix 2008)
Link to Open Water 2006
The Open water season has now started where a number of hardy swimmers will take to swimming in Lakes, Reservoirs, Locks, Canals and the Sea for the next four month's or so. The swimmers are now venturing to Wykeham Lakes, which year on year, is getting bigger and bigger!.
The majority of our swimmers with compete in BLDSA events, with the exception of a few, more seasoned and experienced members, who will enter the British ASA Open Water Championships , as well other ASA organised events.
The Grand Prix 2008
All the Regions hold their championships, which colminate at the final in Holme Pierrepont which is in Nottingham, and is held on August All the venues, prize money, points system and most importantly, venues and dates can be found in the 2008 rules document. (PDF document)
The rules say that you may swim all events, but states that you must swim 4 events, which includes the final. So you will need to swim in 3 of the 4 Regional events and the final to qualify.
Entry forms for the Regions and final are:
South West Region
Preston Beach, Weymouth
6th July 2008entries close - 9th June 2008
North Eastern Region
Scarborough - Wykeham Lake
12th July 2008entries close - 5th July 2008
Midland Region
Bosworth Water
13th July 2008entries close 2nd July 2008
Eastern Region
Whitlingham Lakes, Norwich
20th July 2008entries close 25th June 2008
GRAND PRIX FINAL - HOLME PIERREPONT - 10TH AUGUST 2008 entries close 25th July 2008
Another event some may wish to swim, is the South Eastern's Swim on the 26th July, held at Eastbourne beach. Entries close 14th July 2008.
14th July 2008 - We held the Regional Open Water Grand Prix on Saturday 12th July, and the Men's winner was Bath's Jamie Forrest, coming home in 56.00, with James Leitch, City of Glasgow taking the silver medal in 57.21, and 13 year old starlet Mark Deans, also from the City of Glasgow club, powering himself away from Sudbury's Chris Eynon with Deans taking the Bronze medal in 59.54, and Eynon finishing in 1.00.09.
The ladies race produced a clear winner in the form of Erica Brown from Chesterfield, who finished in 1.00.25, with Bournmouth's Claire Hayward winning silver in 1.03.44, outsprinting Jennifer Davies, Carnegie, who claimed the Bronze medal in 1.03.47. Scarborough's own Emma Couch finished in 5th overall place with a time of 1.15.37, put claimed two gold medals, 1st in the Region and 1st in Yorkshire.
Rebecca Cox finished 5th in the junior Girls event, coming home in 37.16 for the 2.5km event. David Mort was 6th during the junior boys event, finishing in 37.30 for the 2.5km. David's can be content with a bronze medal from the Region and the gold medal from Yorkshire.
