All three of our competitors were on top form in the East Region’ Short Course Championships as Matt Wright won the Men’s 100m Backstroke and Freestyle titles for the third successive year.
Matt Retains Four Of His East Region SC Titles
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National Masters Medals, Club Records And A Brief Encounter With Darth Vader!
Seven medals and seven Club Masters ‘ records – not all in the same events- were achieved at the 2025 Swim England National Masters championships together with a chance encounter with a “Geordie speaking” Darth Vader!
Read here for a full report on yet another year of highly creditable performances.
Never Say Never…
Two of our Masters swimmers have demonstrated it is never too late to take up a fresh challenge.
In her first competitive swim, Nicola Monk came 7th in her 50-54 years’ age group in the Serpentine 2 Miler in a time of 1:01.44.
Aged 65 Alastair Gibb has swum his first ever 200m Butterfly. His swim at the Sth East Regional Masters saw him not only beat the County’s 65-69 years’ record but also, subject to ratification, claim the East Region’s record for that age group.
Records Broken from Ages 9 to 199 Years!
It may only be half way through the month of September but East Region, Beds County and Club records have already fallen.
Both 9 year old Lucy Biscoe and 12 year old Alice Buckingham broke age group Club records at the Sprint With The Stars meet at the London Aquatics Centre.
Club coaches Matt & Dave Wright have also featured in Masters’ Regional and Club record breaking races. Read the report from the Barnet Copthall meet for details of the “199 years’ record” and also the 1983 Masters record previously held by one of the Club’s longest standing members just broken by a Club newcomer.
Long Standing Masters’ Records Shattered
Congratulations to both Mark Lewis and Graham Powell who smashed long-standing records at the 30th Berks & South Bucks Masters Meet.
Record Breaking Swims For Mark Lewis at World Masters Championships
Having added Ulster earlier in the year, Mark Lewis ensured Singapore was included in the Beds County database of locations for its Masters Long Course records.
Competing in three races over 50m, Mark set new County Masters’ figures for the 50m Butterfly whilst also smashing his own Club Long Course Breaststroke record.
Four British Transplant Gold Medals For Ian Norman
Ian Norman won four golds at the British Transplant Games held in Oxford.
Competing for Addenbrookes’ Adults, Ian competed in the 50m Butterfly and Backstroke and both the 100m & 200m Freestyle.
Three East Region Open Water Champions
The 2024/25 Competitive season for our “age group” swimmers ended with all seven of our entrants in the Beds County Open Water Champions gaining top three placings.
With ages spanning over 50 years, three also emerged from the water at Whitlingham as East Region champions. Visit the News page for the full roll of honour!
County Junior League Champions For 3rd Year
In a closely fought contest we won the Beds County Arena Junior League title for the third successive year.
Congratulations to the whole team.
All Nine Masters Rise To The Challenge At Barnet
All nine of our Masters squad who competed at the 35th Barnet Masters Distance Meet had their names added to the Beds County Masters Records with a total of five individual and four relay records being claimed. For both Rachael Donlan and Tom Burns that was their first County Masters Record recognition.
Achieving relay records was one of two principal challenges set before the Meet; the other was racing a 200m Butterfly for the first time. Read here to find who was “brave’ enough to take it on!