News

The summer holiday time is generally a quite time in pool for competitions, we finished the home season with the highly successful Medway Isle of Man Dual Swim Meet, a meet packed with excellent swims from both teams. The format over ran over 57 events from 12 and unders to open age swimmers with a scoring system of accumulative times saw Medway run out winners by a margin of 1 minute 38 seconds over the Isle of Man Team. IOM won 14 individual events and 3 team events. Top scoring individual with two victory swims was Sarah Cain in the 14 and under 200m Individual Medley knocking over 4 seconds off her previous best time and the 100m Fly. The Girls 14 and under swimmers took two more of the four individual swim in their age group with Katie Salmon swimming to a best time in the 100m Breast and Joanna Caine winning the 100m free. The 14 and under Medley girls team of Giselle Riley, Rachel Ganley, Sarah Caine and Rebbecca Vaughan also took top spot to make it four wins out of 7 for their age group. In the youngest age group for 12 and unders Oliver Shimmin and Jessica Tomlinson scored wins in the 100m back and 100m free respectively, both with best times. Martin Dias was the only winner in the 14 and under boys with his win in the 100m breast.

The 16 and unders boys took 5 of their seven events with individual victories to Nigel Halsall 200m IM, Nigel Cottier 100m back, and James Baker 100m free, Halsall, Cottier and Baker were joined by Declan Quinn and ran out winners in both the Medley and Free team events. Andrew Cowley took the only Open victory of the evening in the 100m back, the level of best times recorded by IOM swimmers was generally very high. One Sunday morning some of the Medway team joined in IoMSA training at Ramsey that was followed by an excellent afternoons barbecue and games in the glorious sunshine at the home of Brian and Sandra Tomlinson.

Naill Killey was the Isle of Mans repetitive at the ASA National Youth Championships in Sheffield's Ponds Forge, and building on the valuable experience to the pre Island Games Long Course Training Camp swam to best times long Course for the 50 and 100m Free. These excellent swims resulted in Naill progressing to semi finals in both events in very high class events and but for a slightly delayed action at the start of the 50m free semi would have progressed to the final, the experience will stand Niall in good stead for the future. Niall was supported by Sian Snellgrove who gained her first experience of National level swimming.

At the European Masters Championships in Aveyron, France 36 year Robert Frize as well as swimming in one of the major masters meets had to cope with the heat wave the had hit France and in poolside temperature that soared to over 40 degrees Celcius swam a very creditable 100m fly in a time of 1:07.66. This was followed by the 200m free and a time of 2:23.18, saving the best till last Robert then went 1:00.83 in the 100m free to set a new Irish National Masters Record for the 35 to 39 years age group.

The new swimming season has started after the holidays as swimmers get back into their routine of training for the Autumn, the first meet form the swimmers will take part will be the English Schools Division 2 Championships at Birkenhead on the 20th September with a team of 12 Isle of Man Swimmers taking part. This is the largest IOM team to take part in this event, this will be followed by a meet at Sheffield in early October, league matches on Island and then 2 off island Meets in December.

Congratulations to IOM Swimmers who have gained success at A levels and now move onto University, Gemma Thompson Ramseian SC is going to Stirling University, Garry Manley Douglas SC goes to Oxford and Peter Sheath Southern SC is going to Bible College London. Best wishes them all as they take this next big step.

Max Stewart,
National Coach