Thirty one clubs representing 230 swimmers from across British Columbia and the rest of Canada participated in a successful B.C. Masters Swimming Championships last month at Kelowna’s H2O Adventure and Fitness Centre.
Hosted by Okanagan Masters Swim Club (OMSC), the three-day event saw 66 age group short-course swimming records shattered. These consisted of one World Record, 29 Canadian, 35 B.C. and one Alberta record. Sarah MacDonald of Victoria Masters set a world record for the 50m freestyle, in a time of 27.81 seconds.
OMSC was well-represented with records set by Hella Versfeld (three Canadian and three B.C.) and Mike McIntire (three Canadian and five B.C.), both from Vernon. Cathy Sheehan of Penticton set two Canadian and two B.C. records. Kelowna’s Carmelle Guidi-Swan set two B.C. records. To crown the host club’s achievements, OMSC also won the Masters Swimming Association of British Columbia (MSABC) trophy as the team that earned the most points during the meet.
Of the 230 swimmers, the youngest was 19, the oldest was 92.
Vernon was represented by the following racers: Chantal Dyck, five Gold, one Silver, one Bronze in the 40 to 44 age category; Gary Hurry, two Gold, three Silver, four Bronze in the 55 to 58 category; Laura Medcalf, seven Gold, two Silver, 30 to 34 category; Mike McIntyre, eight Gold, two Silver, 55 to 59 category, where he set new provincial records; Marion Roberts, three Gold, three Silver, 75 to 79 age category; Hella Versfeld, seven Gold, two Silver, 60 to 64 category, where she set new Canadian records in the 1500 free and the 200 free; and Kees Versfeld, three Silver and one Bronze in the 60 to 64 category
The record-breaking achievements were even more impressive in that they were set without benefit of the controversial “super suits.” International swimming federation FINA ruled in 2009 that “no swimmer shall be permitted to use or wear any device or swimsuit that may aid his speed, buoyancy or endurance during a competition.”
Kelowna Mayor Sharon Shepherd officially opened the event, supported by the Honourable Steve Thomson, Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations and MLA for Kelowna-Mission. Shepherd also announced the 2012 Canadian Masters Swimming Championships to be held in Kelowna in May next year. This national event will be capped at 600 swimmers and will again be hosted by OMSC, in association with Wine Country Masters and Westside Thunder Masters Swim Club.
“An event like this would not be possible without volunteers and great support from the City of Kelowna and the staff at the H20 Adventure and Fitness Centre,” said Jeanette Hoft, OMSC communications director. “The volunteer planning committee put in several hundred hours to make the 2011 Provincials an enjoyable and memorable experience for swimmers, guests and officials.
“We received overwhelmingly positive feedback from participants, and the whole meet took place while the public still had access to the recreational areas of this wonderful aquatic facility.”
For more information on Masters Swimming, visit the OMSC website at www.okmasters.com. OMSC also hosts the FINA Open Water Swim in Okanagan Lake during late August, as part of the Kelowna Apple Triathlon. The OMSC website has more information at http://okmasters.com/events/open-water-kelowna-apple-2011
