World Masters – Montreal
World Masters Swimming Championships- Montreal, Canada
Four members of Isle of Wight Marlins Swim Club qualified to take part in the 15th. World Masters Championships, held in Montreal. All were successful in achieving good personal times against fierce competition, especially in the younger, masters’ age groups.
Two separate open air 50m. pools were needed to accommodate the 6,000 competitors over the 9 days of competition in temperatures exceeding 30C.
The pools, on two different but connected, islands in the mighty St.Lawrence River, were wonderful to swim in under the hot sun. An Open Water 3K swim ended the week in the 1976 Montreal Olympic Rowing Basin.
Michael Alchin 27, from Lake and his friend and work colleague, Kieron Carroll 25, both swam 50m. freestyle with just two seconds separating them, yet with 50 places between them, showing the level of competition in an event of this size!
Their times were:
Michael : 50 free 27.66, 50 back 32.26 and 100 back 1.12.86
Kieron : 50 free 25.23, 100 free 56.55, 200 free 2.06.45 (14th. place) and 50 fly 28.68
Jenny Ball 76, veteran of several World and European Championships, had her best result to date, winning a Bronze medal in the 3K Open Water event and five other medals for top ten placings: 800 free 7th. 15.52.08, 400 free 5th. 7.30.64, 200 free 6th. 3.40.51, 100 free 8th.1.41.78 and 100 backstroke 1.57.60 8th. The biggest surprise was that all her times were the fastest since 2011 some by margins of half a minute.
Rosemary Johnson 74, was also pleased with her times, these too being some of her recent best in an age group with larger numbers of competitors: 800 free 16.57.81, 15th.place, 200 free 4.07.28, 100 backstroke 2.12.58, 14th.place and 200 backstroke 14th.place.
Before and after the swimming, there was an opportunity for all, to visit other locations in Canada making the trip, all round, a very worthwhile experience.
