SWIMMERS Keep Their Cool At Inverclyde ASC Championships
INVERCLYDE Amateur Swimming Club held its 40th championships, at the Waterfront Leisure Centre, Greenock.
Many involved had feared the event wasn’t going to happen because of the broken pool floor at the Waterfront. Huge efforts went on behind the scenes to save the championships, with the club working with Inverclyde Leisure and Glasgow Life on a range of contingency plans. In the end, the Waterfront was secured and the club was able to host a shortened programme of racing.
The club championship is one of the few times the whole club comes together to compete. There was a great atmosphere poolside as friends and family gathered to cheer on the swimmers. The contest crowns 1st, 2nd and 3rd boys and girls across eight different age groups.
| Scroll down for full results
The competition itself is made up of two separate events -– one in summer and one in winter. Age group placings after the summer event were well known, with some swimmers holding commanding leads. In many cases, however, the winter event would decide the placings.
Freezing temperatures outside -– and inside –- played a big part in how the afternoon went. For the first time in the club’s history, officials and timekeepers wore hats and jumpers over their uniform in a bid to keep warm. The cold conditions also added an extra challenge for the swimmers trying to stay warm in between races. Hot showers and damp towels were in constant use throughout the afternoon. Despite this, the atmosphere was as warm and supportive as ever from spectators and swimmers alike.
The schedule was packed, with racing lasting for more than four hours. For many of the young swimmers, this was their first taste of competition, and head coach Shirley Reford was very impressed: “Sometimes the occasion can overwhelm new swimmers who aren’t used to the noise and pressure. It’s a very different environment to training.
“There’s a lot of waiting about, but you have to be ready to go as soon as your name is called. Keeping warm, hydrated and nourished is key to your performance at competitions. For many, this was the first time they’ve had to think about that. It’s also the first time many of them have ever swum in front of a crowd –- that’s daunting enough for anyone, even without the pressure of competition. Our debut swimmers coped brilliantly.”
The cold conditions definitely affected the swimmers. While the water temperature was great for racing, many swimmers struggled to warm up their muscles quickly enough to set new PBs. As the afternoon went on, fewer and fewer PBs were recorded, but it certainly didn’t affect the excitement of the racing.
The highlight was the breaststroke head-to-head between Thomas Cannon and Matthew Garrity. The 200-metre event came first. Side by side along all eight lengths, Thomas snatched the victory in the last few metres. The rematch in the 100-metre event was just as exciting, but this time, Matthew edged the victory to screams and roars from the spectators.
Championship positions changed all afternoon and some of the placings were incredibly tight, with just a single point separating swimmers in a number of categories. Swimmers will receive their awards at the club’s presentation night in January.
Results
Eight-years-old and under boys
1st place: Blake Herdman 2nd place: Brodie McArthur 3rd place: Oliver Gibson
Eight-years-old and under girls
1st place: Sophie Campbell 2nd place: Beth Nichol 3rd place: Mirrin Fay
Nine-year-old boys
1st place: Archie McArthur 2nd place: Cameron Beck 3rd place: Scott Brodie
Nine-year-old girls
1st place: Eve Morrison 2nd place: Eilidh Melrose 3rd place: Isabella McClafferty
10-year-old boys
1st place: Ryan Cummings 2nd place: Conor McCrorey 3rd place: Eric McKendrick
10-year-old girls
1st place: Mirren McConnell 2nd place: Alice McClafferty 3rd place: Skye McLellan
11-year-old boys
1st place: Luke Garrity 2nd place: Peter Maloney 3rd place: Lukas Kong
11-year-old girls
1st place: Betty Fischer Keogh 2nd place: Mya McNelis 3rd place: Anna E McClafferty
12-year-old boys
1st place: Lewis Gray 2nd place: Oliver Patton 3rd place: Alistair Currie
12-year-old girls
1st place: Lucy Campbell 2nd place: April Craynor 3rd place: Lucy Kinniburgh
13-year-old boys
1st place: Jay Keith 2nd place: Darren Macleay 3rd place: Nathan Peoples
13-year-old girls
1st place: Anna McClafferty 2nd place: Emma Sharkey 3rd place: Sofia McGeehan
14-year-old boys
1st place: Matthew Garrity 2nd place: Ben Skinner 3rd place: Adam Brooks
14-year-old girls
1st place: Aimee Watson 2nd place: Molly Cannon 3rd place: Ashleigh Blyth
15 years and over boys
1st place: Thomas Cannon 2nd place: Kian McNelis 3rd place: Sam Sharkey
15 years and over girls
1st place: Lauren Macleay 2nd place: Emily Lightfoot 3rd place: Madeline O’Brien
