The ASA Youth Forum is looking to select four young Technical Officials to give them the opportunity to officiate at the ASA Age Group Championships this July at Ponds Forge.

The ASA Age Group Championships is a national event for swimmers aged 11 to 14. The event takes place from the 24th-27th of July 2008. Each of the four Technical Officials will be shadowing highly experienced officials and will rotate through the various officiating roles to provide a variety of experiences. Additionally they will be public figures promoting young volunteers throughout swimming.

All applicants must be 18-25 years of age with previous officiating experience and a level 1 judge qualification. It is preferable that you are able to attend all four days, but applicants will be considered who can attend for a minimum of two days.  All food costs, an officiating uniform and drinks bottles will be provided as well as three night’s accommodation and travel costs. 

If you are interested in applying for this opportunity to gain experience as a Technical Official at the ASA National Age Group Championships please complete the application form and return it via email to Yvette Heywood at Yvette.Heywood@swimming.org by 30th May 2008. 

Click here to download the application form

Click here to download the person specification.

Successful applicants will then receive an information pack explaining what is to follow.

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For further information please contact Yvette Heywood at yvette.heywood@swimming.org

Jemma Lowe regained the 200m Butterfly short course British Record at the Middlesbrough Open this weekend.

The Borough of Stockton swimmer recorded a time of 2:04.01 knocking 1.08secs off team-mate Jess Dickons' record set at the recent World Championships in Manchester. 

Prior to Jess holding the record, the previous standard had been set by Jemma at the Middlsbrough meet in 2007.

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For further details contact Dave Richards, British Swimming Media Manager, on 01509 632237, 0778 992 6136 or email dave.richards@swimming.org

 

British Swimming is the National Governing Body for Swimming, Diving, Synchronised Swimming, Water Polo and Open Water in Great Britain.  It is responsible internationally for the high performance representation of the sport. The members of British Swimming are the three Home Countries national governing bodies of England (Amateur Swimming Association), Scotland (Scottish Amateur Swimming Association) and Wales. (Welsh Amateur Swimming Association)  British Swimming seeks to enable its athletes to achieve gold medal success at the Olympics, Paralympics, World Championships and Commonwealth Games. 

 

About Speedo®
Synonymous with swimwear, the iconic brand celebrates 80 years of dominance creating revolutionary new technologies, designs and innovations.  In the 1920s Speedo® made history with the Racerback: the world’s first non-wool suit. In 2008 Speedo® redefines swimwear again with Fastskin® LZR RACER®  - the fastest and most technologically advanced swimsuit ever created; meanwhile designer collaborations with Comme des Garçons put Speedo® at the cutting edge of design. As the world’s leading swimwear brand, Speedo® is passionate about life in and around the water, supporting swimming from beginners through to elite level, including the phenomenal Michael Phelps.  Speedo® is owned by Pentland Brands and distributed in over 170 countries around the world; to find out more visit: www.speedo.com. SPEEDO, the ARROW device, FASTSKIN, LZR PULSE and LZR RACER are registered trademarks of Speedo Holdings B.V. The LZR RACER suit has worldwide design rights and patents pending.

Britain’s swimmers competing at the Paralympic World Cup in Manchester have proven to the world they are a force to be reckoned with just four months out from Beijing by taking seven gold, four silver and three bronze medals.

Heather Frederiksen (City of Salford), Natalie Jones (Colchester Penguins) and Sam Hynd (Nova Centurion) smashed world records on their way to winning their gold medals.

Frederiksen looked dominate throughout the women’s S8 100m Backstroke. She started well and gained the lead just before the turn and turned well within the world record time. She then powered through her final 50m to touch home in a time of 1:17.41 to take both the gold medal and the world record.

“That was just awesome,” Frederiksen said. “I didn’t expect to go out and get that record. Since I equalled it a few weeks ago, my backstroke hasn’t felt strong so throughout that race I just tried to keep my stroke as long as possible and kept calm and it all worked.

“That was a promising performance for me as I am in the middle of hard training and I am really happy to have broken the record. I also expect that Jessica Long (USA) will push me all the way in Beijing.”

Norway’s Mariann Vestbostad took the silver medal in a time of 1:22.07 while bronze was taken by promising American Jessica Long in a time of 1:23.72. Brit Rachael Latham (Bolton Metro) finished in fourth place with a time of 1:25.07.

Natalie Jones took to the water in the women’s S6 200m Individual Medley and put in a personal best performance on her way to the world record.

The Paralympic Champion found herself behind Fuying Jiang as they turned for the first 100m but Jones began closing the gap in the breaststroke lap. As the race entered the final 50m Jones found the power to move into the lead and she pushed hard to finish in the top spot.

Jones claimed the world record and the gold medal in a time of 3:15.72.

“I honestly did not expect to claim that world record,” Jones said. “It is just amazing to have got that time. I just wanted to race hard and wanted to get a PB so to get a world record on top of that is fantastic.

“Fuying Jiang was in front of me and I could see her but I knew she doesn’t have a good freestyle finish so I knew I could take her on the last lap. I got that time in the middle of heavy training which is both pleasing and promising for the rest of the year.”

Fellow Brit Nyree Lewis (Leominster) put in a solid performance as she moved from third to second place in the final 50m to take the silver medal in a time of 3:18.30.

Bronze was won by American Miranda Uhl in a time of 3:18.78. British swimmer Liz Johnson finished in 6th place in a time of 3:25.37.

The men’s S8 400m Freestyle saw Sam Hynd racing against Paralympic champion Xiaofu Wang (China) and the 16-year-old had to put any nerves to one side as he tried to claim his first ever Paralympic World Cup title.

Hynd turned for the first 100m in second place but he showed his strength over the distance to move into the lead at the 200m mark.

The world record holder, Hynd, was never challenged by Wang and he extended his lead to seven seconds at the 300m and he touched home nine seconds ahead of his competitors in a time of 4:31.33. This time not only earned Hynd his first world title but lowered his own world record.

“That was just fantastic,” Hynd said. “I never expected to go that fast. I have been working hard in my training and it just felt great out there today.

“It was a great performance which I am really pleased with. I didn’t expect to come here and take that record but it is a great result for me. I am really happy to win gold at my first World Cup event, it gives me a good standing as I work towards Beijing.”

The women’s S13 100m Butterfly event saw Rhiannon Henry (Swansea Performance) impress on her way to the gold medal.

Henry took the lead early on and looked stronger than her closest rival Prue Watt (Australia) throughout the race. The Brit turned within British record time at the 50m mark and kept her lead in the final 50m as she touched home in a time of 1:07.33.

Henry claimed both the gold medal and a new British record with her strong swim.

“After least night’s swim I didn’t think I would be able to go out an swim that fast,” Henry said. “I found that half way through my swim yesterday I just died and couldn’t keep my pace up.

“But today I just knew I had to push through it and I kept my hips up but I didn’t really know what to expect so I am really pleased with the result.”

Siilver went to Prue Watt in a time of 1:09.09 and Teigan V roosmalen (Australia) took the bronze in 1:10.39. British swimmer Jenny Coughlin finished in sixth place with a time of 1:15.03.

Sascha Kindred was always the favourite for the men’s SM6 200m Individual Medley and he didn’t disappoint the home crowd.

Kindred went out quickly with the desire to defend his title from last year and he turned almost a second in the lead at the 100m mark.

As the athletes entered the breaststroke leg Kindred extended his lead to four seconds and he touched home in a time of 2:45.00 to re-claim his title.

“That was a strong swim for me,” Kindred said. “I wanted to go quicker in front of the home-crowd but I am happy with that result. It was an eight second pb for Yang, so I know he is pushing me all the way in the lead up to Beijing but I am happy to have beaten him.”

The silver medal went to China’s Yuanrun Yang in a time of 2:47.91, while British athlete Matt Whorwood (Newquay Cormorants) took the bronze medal in 2:57.06.

The men’s 50m Freestyle saw Dave Roberts (Swansea Performance) prove his dominance of the event after finishing in a time of 28.45 to take repeat last year’s performance. American Lantz Lamback took the silver in 29.44 while Brit Matthew Walker (Marple) won the bronze in 29.56. Young British athlete Jonathan Fox (Newquay Cormorants) finished in fourth place in 30.54.

James Anderson (Broxburn) claimed the gold medal in the men’s S2 50m Freestyle with an excellent performance that saw him finish in a time of 1:07.01. Silver went to Anderson’s closest international rival Georgios Kapelakis (Greece) in a time of 1:11.22. Bronze was taken by Curtis Lovejoy (USA) in 1:13.59.

The women’s S9 100m Freestyle saw three British athletes come face to face with world famous Natalie DuToit - who has just qualified for the Open Water event at the Olympic Games.

Stephanie Millward (Melksham) found herself in third place behind Du Toit and Australian Annabelle Williams at the first turn.

But it was Louise Watkin (Kelly College) who proved to have the strongest finish of the Brits as she took the silver medal behind Du Toit in a time of 1:06.15. Williams and Millward took joint bronze with 1:06.63. Du Toit finished a whole five seconds ahead of her competitors as she touched in 1:01.32.

The women’s S3 50m Backstroke saw Fran Williamson try to defend her title, she looked strong as the race began but found the power of Germany’s Annke Conradi too much for her as she had to settle for the silver this year with a time of 1:05.18. Conradi touched in 1:04.30 to take gold while bronze was taken by America’s Beth Kolbe in 1:19.32.

Swimming in the last event of the day Britain’s Anthony Stephens (Swansea Performance) was pushed on by the success of his team-mates as he took the lead early on. Brazilian Daniel Dias overtook the Brit at the 150m and extended his lead in the final 50m to steal the gold from Stephens.

Dias touched in 2:40.14 and Stephens finished in 2:43.90. Bronze was claimed by Spain’s Sebastian Rodriguez in 2:50.20.

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British swimmers competing in Manchester are as follows:

James Anderson (Broxburn)
Claire Cashmore (Kelly College)
Emma Cattle (Luton)
James Crisp (City of Sheffield)
Gareth Duke (Swim Swansea)
Jonathan Fox (Newquay Cormorants)
Rhiannon Henry (Swansea Performance)
Sam Hynd (Nova Centurion)
David Hill (Kelly College)
Liz Johnson (Swim Swansea)
Natalie Jones (Colchester Phoenix)
Sascha Kindred (Leominster Kingfisher)
Rachel Latham (Bolton Metro)
Nyree Lewis (Leominster Kingfisher)
David Roberts (Swim Swansea)
Anthony Stephens (Swim Swansea)
Matt Walker (Marple)
Louise Watkin (Kelly College)
Fran Williamson (Colchester Phoenix)
Matt Whorwood (Newquay Cormorants)

The following events are scheduled:

Male:
S2 50m Freestyle.
SM6 200m Individual Medley
SB11 100m Breaststroke
S9 100m Backstroke
S7 50m Freestyle
S5 200m Freestyle
S8 400m Freestyle

Female:
SM6 200m Individual Medley
S8 100m Backstroke
S10 100m Backstroke
S3 50m Backstroke 
S9 100m Freestyle
S13 100m Butterfly

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For details of the Paralympic World Cup log onto www.paralympicworldcup.com

For more information contact British Swimming media assistant Gemma Field on 01509 632238, 07917 726431 or email gemma.field@swimming.org

British Swimming is the National Governing Body for Swimming, Diving, Synchronised Swimming, Water Polo and Open Water in Great Britain.  It is responsible internationally for the high performance representation of the sport. The members of British Swimming are the three Home Countries national governing bodies of England (Amateur Swimming Association), Scotland (Scottish Amateur Swimming Association) and Wales. (Welsh Amateur Swimming Association)  British Swimming seeks to enable its athletes to achieve gold medal success at the Olympics, Paralympics, World Championships and Commonwealth Games.
www.britishswimming.org

ParalympicsGB today confirmed the selection of thirty-six swimmers for the British team for the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games. The squad features a mix of youth and experience, with 13-year-old Eleanor Simmonds selected for her first Games, while 45-year-old Jim Anderson will be travelling to his fifth Games.

Simmonds, who is the youngest member of the squad, is joined by other Paralympic debutants, including 14-year-old Elizabeth Simpkin, 19-year-old Kate Grey (Bristol/ Bath), 18-year-old Rachael Latham (Wigan) and 15-year-old Louise Watkin.

Paralympic champions Dave Roberts (Cardiff), Sascha Kindred (Hereford), Nyree Lewis (Hereford), Natalie Jones (Manchester) and Gareth Duke (Cwmbran) have also been selected for the Beijing Games with the goal of defending their titles and adding to their personal medal hauls. (For a full list of selected athletes please see below).

British Swimming National Performance Director Tim Reddish said: “The team has a good mix of youth and experience, with 45 per cent of the team attending their first Paralympic Games. This is really pleasing because it will prove to be beneficial for all of our athletes, coaches and support staff,” Reddish said. “The average age of this squad is younger than the one that competed in Athens and this demonstrates that the systems and programmes that British Swimming have in place are working well.

“It’s pleasing to see that a number of records have fallen during the past two competitions. The priority is to break British records because this shows that as a nation we are improving but to see European and world records tumbling is a good indicator of where we are on the world stage.

“Our athletes and their coaches now need to focus upon their preparations for Beijing to continue improving and if they succeed in this I can see them being able to get in the hunt for medals at the Beijing Paralympic Games.”

ParalympicsGB Chief Executive Phil Lane, said: “Swimming has traditionally been one of the most successful Paralympic sports in terms of medals at previous Games.  We are delighted to confirm a squad of 36 athletes who we hope will continue this success in Beijing.

“The number of emerging youngsters selected for their first Paralympic Games is testament to how successfully British Swimming nurture and develop new talent but its also exciting to see so many established Paralympians returning to the ParalympicsGB squad to defend the titles won in Athens.”

World championship medallist Louise Watkin said: “I am overjoyed to have been selected for my first Paralympic Games. It really has made all of the hard-work worthwhile. It looks like it will be a really exciting event.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge of competing at the Paralympics, I know it will be like nothing I have ever been to before but I think I will be able to stay focused and do the best that I can.”

Paralympic champion Sascha Kindred said: “I am very excited to be selected for my fourth Paralympic Games. I think the experience I have gained from the previous Games will help this year. My first Games in Atlanta was a real shock and I didn’t know how to prepare myself for competition but now I know how to stay focused on the task in hand.

“The team has a great mix of young athletes and more experienced ones, I am looking forward to being able to pass on my knowledge and experience to the younger athletes and I think that will really benefit them. The great thing about the British Swimming team is that we have a really good team atmosphere and we all support each other.”

The Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games opens on September 6 and closes on September 17. The swimming events at the Games take place at the National Aquatics Centre, also known as the Water Cube, from September 7 to 15.

At the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games, Britain finished second in the medal table with a total of 35 golds, 30 silver and 29 bronze medals. With competitive standards continually rising and the dominant Chinese team taking the home advantage ParalympicsGB recognises that the 2008 Paralympics will be one of its biggest challenges yet.

For further information about ParalympicsGB, please contact Sian Davies in the Press Office on 0207 211 5240 or 07721 892686 or by email at sian.davies@paralympics.org.uk. For news updates visit the BPA website at www.paralympics.org.uk

N.B ParalympicsGB is the trading name of the British Paralympic Association.

For further information about the British Swimming team please contact Gemma Field in the press office on 01509 632 262 or 07917 726 431 or on email at gemma.field@swimming.org

The Swimming squad selected to ParalympicsGB comprises:

Name     Born   Lives        Place of birth
James Anderson   14/04/1963  Broxburn       St Andrews
Claire Cashmore   21/05/1988  Kidderminster/ Devon      Kidderminster
Emma Cattle    10/04/1988  Harlington, Beds      Luton
Jenny Coughlin   09/11/1983  Swansea       St Helens
James Crisp    11/10/1982   Nottingham       Nottingham
Gareth Duke    18/06/1986  Cwmbran       Cwbran
Graham Edmunds   22/10/1982  Swansea       Reading
David Ellis    12/07/1986  Heanor, Derbyshire         Nottingham
Jonathan Fox    30/05/1991  St Austell, Corwall      Plymouth
Sean Fraser    30/04/1990  Loanhead, Midlothian      Edinburgh
Heather Frederiksen   30/12/1985  Leigh, Lancashire       Billinge
Kate Grey    25/01/1989  Thornbury, Bristol/ Bath   Bristol
Rhiannon Henry    20/05/1987  Bridgend       Bridgend
Charlotte Henshaw   16/01/1987  Mansfield, Notts      Mansfield
Sam Hynd    03/07/1991  Kirkby-in-Ashfield,       Sutton-in-Ashfield
Elizabeth Johnson   03/12/1985  Swansea       Newport
Natalie Jones    31/10/1984  Manchester       Colchester
Sascha Kindred   13/12/1977  Hereford       Munster, Ger
Dervis Konuralp   27/09/1980  Hackney, London      London
Rachael Latham   13/08/1989  Wigan        Billinge
Nyree Lewis    21/09/1980  Hereford       Rhonda Valley
Andrew Lindsay   25/10/1979  Cowdenbeath       Dumfermline
Mhairi Love    05/05/1981  Larkhill, Lanarkshire      Lanarkshire
Simon Miller    10/06/1986  Manchester       Shoreham 
Stephanie Millward   20/09/1981   Chippenham, Wilts      Saudi Arabia
David Roberts    11/05/1980  Cardiff        Pontypridd     
Eleanor Simmonds   11/11/1994  Swansea       Walsall
Elizabeth Simpkin   11/08/1994  Southport, Lancs      Southport 
Lauren Steadman   18/12/1992  Huntingdon, Cambs      Peterborough
Anthony Stephens   09/07/1986  Swansea       Reading
Matthew Walker   25/04/1978  Stockport          Stockport
Louise Watkin    13/08/1992  Redhill, Surrey      Stockholm
Danielle Watts    13/10/1980  Denton, Oxon       Oxford
Robert Welbourn   11/06/1987  Swansea       Chesterfield
Matthew Whorwood    07/12/1989  Newquay       Truro
Fran Williamson   16/06/1985  Cambridge       Sunderland

With the new diving FUNdamentals programme Flip n Fun becoming ever more popular, we invited a Swimming Teacher from Tandridge Leisure, Surrey to provide a critique on the exciting learn to dive programme.

Launched last summer and developed by the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA), Flip n Fun introduces children aged five to eleven to the basics of a sport that has achieved Olympic, Commonwealth and World success over the last three years.  As the first stage of six within the ASA’s Long Term Athlete Development model for diving, the programme is structured to teach children a series of basic movements and skills in the water and on dry land.

Swimming Teacher Maggie Crowe recently taught an intensive five-day Flip n Fun course and believes the programme is a great way of getting children into the sport.

“I found that participants really enjoyed the course, they were very enthusiastic and tried really hard to achieve the correct shapes,” she said.

“As part of the course, each participant received a Flip n Fun progress report card. This gave them a clear picture of what they achieved and provided motivation to carry on and complete the course.  I like the cards, they look good and it is encouraging for the children to see a record of their success so far.  They also provide an effective feedback mechanism for parents to see the outcomes of the course.”

“The centre had advertised the course in the local paper and thus the uptake was good.  It was interesting that there were so many more girls than boys - I would expect such a big difference in a synchronised swimming class but I had anticipated a more even balance for diving.”

“There was also a large age range - the youngest being about five and the eldest eleven, which made for interesting teaching.  The younger participants lacked body awareness and control, while some of the older participants felt too embarrassed to attempt new tasks.  I am always keen to encourage participants and happily demonstrated the practices, which relaxed them and they felt more comfortable in giving it a go!”

She added, “I thoroughly enjoyed teaching this course and I am looking forward to more courses taking place in the summer.”

Integrated into the new National Plan for Teaching Swimming, Flip n Fun is also available as a standalone programme and can be taught from the poolside (in pools with a minimum depth of 1.8m) with no need for specialist diving equipment, which means it can take place at hundreds of school pools and facilities nationwide.

Level 2 swimming/diving teachers/coaches can learn the basic skills to deliver Flip n Fun sessions by attending an Institute of Swimming (IoS) Continuing Professional Development (CPD) seminar.  Lasting just four hours, the course includes practical sessions in the water and on dry land as well as theoretical guidance and support.

CLICK HERE to view the IoS Calendar and find a Flip n Fun CPD Seminar near you, or contact Customer Services on 0871 200 0928 for more information.

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For more information please contact Claire Freeman, ASA PR Assistant on claire.freeman@swimming.org or 01509 638238.

British Swimming
British Swimming represents the home countries of England, Scotland and Wales and holds the Coaching Standards Group licence to develop and award qualifications meeting UK Coaching Certificate (UKCC) standards for all swimming disciplines.  British Swimming contracted the ASA Awarding Body to develop the qualifications and granted them the licence to award its qualifications in England and Wales.  The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) has the licence to award qualifications in Scotland.

Amateur Swimming Association (ASA)
The ASA is the national governing body for swimming and its related disciplines in England. In order to comply with national education and training standards it has developed two separate and independent arms – the ASA Awarding Body and the Institute of Swimming (IoS) which represent the awarding and delivery channels for all ASA qualifications.

ASA Awarding Body
The ASA Awarding Body develops, assesses, awards and quality assures all ASA qualifications. It is the equivalent of other awarding bodies such as City & Guilds and OCR (Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations). The ASA Awarding Body is licensed by British Swimming to award qualifications in England and Wales. It also has the remit for quality assurance of all areas of UKCC standards.

Institute of Swimming (IoS)
The IoS is a licensed training provider, like a school or college. It is one of many ASA Awarding Body Approved Centres.  The IoS is also a membership body for qualified swimming teachers and coaches, providing insurance, advice and learning opportunities to its members.
 
About Speedo®
Synonymous with swimwear, the iconic brand celebrates 80 years of dominance creating revolutionary new technologies, designs and innovations.  In the 1920s Speedo® made history with the Racerback: the world’s first non-wool suit. In 2008 Speedo® redefines swimwear again with Fastskin® LZR RACER®  - the fastest and most technologically advanced swimsuit ever created; meanwhile designer collaborations with Comme des Garçons put Speedo® at the cutting edge of design. As the world’s leading swimwear brand, Speedo® is passionate about life in and around the water, supporting swimming from beginners through to elite level, including the phenomenal Michael Phelps.  Speedo® is owned by Pentland Brands and distributed in over 170 countries around the world; to find out more visit: www.speedo.com. SPEEDO, the ARROW device, FASTSKIN, LZR PULSE and LZR RACER are registered trademarks of Speedo Holdings B.V. The LZR RACER suit has worldwide design rights and patents pending.

 

A group of British divers who will be vying for a place on the Olympic squad in June will be competing at the FINA Diving Grand Prix in Fort Lauderdale.

The group of seven takes to the boards from 8-11 May with 2004 Olympic silver medallist Peter Waterfield (Southampton Diving Academy) leading the squad.

He is joined by Gareth Jones (Southampton Diving Academy) Nick Robinson-Baker (City of Sheffield), Jodie McGroarty Baker (City of Sheffield), Louise Van Hoof (Southampton Diving Academy), Stacie Powell (Southampton Diving Academy), and Tonia Couch (Plymouth Diving).

The FINA Diving Grand Prix is a high profile, annual competition series that gives elite divers from around the world an opportunity to compete against each other more often.

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For further details contact Steph West, British Swimming Media Assistant, on 01509 632 236, 07917 876 459 or email stephanie.west@swimming.org

British Swimming is the National Governing Body for Swimming, Diving, Synchronised Swimming, Water Polo and Open Water in Great Britain.  It is responsible internationally for the high performance representation of the sport. The members of British Swimming are the three Home Countries national governing bodies of England (Amateur Swimming Association), Scotland (Scottish Amateur Swimming Association) and Wales (Welsh Amateur Swimming Association). British Swimming seeks to enable its athletes to achieve gold medal success at the Olympics, Paralympics, World Championships and Commonwealth Games.

About Speedo®
Synonymous with swimwear, the iconic brand celebrates 80 years of dominance creating revolutionary new technologies, designs and innovations.  In the 1920s Speedo® made history with the Racerback: the world’s first non-wool suit. In 2008 Speedo® redefines swimwear again with Fastskin® LZR RACER®  - the fastest and most technologically advanced swimsuit ever created; meanwhile designer collaborations with Comme des Garçons put Speedo® at the cutting edge of design. As the world’s leading swimwear brand, Speedo® is passionate about life in and around the water, supporting swimming from beginners through to elite level, including the phenomenal Michael Phelps.  Speedo® is owned by Pentland Brands and distributed in over 170 countries around the world; to find out more visit: www.speedo.com. SPEEDO, the ARROW device, FASTSKIN, LZR PULSE and LZR RACER are registered trademarks of Speedo Holdings B.V. The LZR RACER suit has worldwide design rights and patents pending.

The May 2008 edition of Wavelength, the Amateur Swimming Association's official newsletter is now available online.

To view this edition, or previous editions, please CLICK HERE.

St George’s Hospital in London is conducting a study into how the menopause affects swimming performance and training.

The hospital is asking for women, who are going through the menopause, to take part in an online survey that will take 5-10 minutes and will be completely confidential. It will be analysing how the menopause has affected your training and whether it has had any impact on your performance.

The link to the survey is: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=nVxqyPHchKrtlQxTxBWExA_3d_3d

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Masters Swimming in Luxembourg is a relatively new sport. Started by Olaf Chalmer in 1992 it has grown quickly and for several years Oldies de Lux have run an open International Masters Meet each October.

The meet has become more popular recently and within the past few years the event has moved from a 25 m pool in Dudelange, to a 50m pool in Luxembourg.

This years meet was held at Piscine du Campus Geesseknäppchen in the school 50m, 10 lane pool, plus a 25m swim down pool. The event attracted swimmers from 90 clubs across Europe, including Holland, Denmark, Germany, France, England and Switzerland.

English swimmers include clubs from London and the West Midlands. Anne Bourne from Camp Hill Edwardians took the British Record, 50-54 age group in the 800m freestyle. Jane Asher, Christine Goodair, Jackie Patel, (Kings Cormorants) Hayley Bettinson, Kate Chase (Camp Hill Edwardians) and Lesley Cook (Romford) all won medals.
 
The meet is well run and not too costly to go to. Accommodation is available at the school- all you need to do is bring your sleeping bag and a lilo as you can sleep in the gym, for a small fee. Breakfast is also available, as was a very substantial lunch for 10 euros per person. On Saturday evening a small party for swimmers took place.

Relay teams were awarded bottles of Luxembourg Cremant ( a local sparkling wine) and the Swiss team from Aquatic Masters, Zurich were very successful, going home with at least eight bottles. I heard that they had a good train journey home!

I would recommend this meet to those who have not competed abroad before as it is friendly, not too large and you get to swim in an excellent pool! Entry fees are reasonable and include a programme. Another bonus is that all the announcements were in English, so no language worries. Next year’s meet is on the 17-19th October 2008.

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Written by Kings Comorants swimmer Christine Goodair

British Swimming is the National Governing Body for Swimming, Diving, Synchronised Swimming, Water Polo and Open Water in Great Britain.  It is responsible internationally for the high performance representation of the sport. The members of British Swimming are the three Home Countries national governing bodies of England (Amateur Swimming Association), Scotland (Scottish Amateur Swimming Association) and Wales. (Welsh Amateur Swimming Association)  British Swimming seeks to enable its athletes to achieve gold medal success at the Olympics, Paralympics, World Championships and Commonwealth Games.

About Speedo®
Synonymous with swimwear, the iconic brand celebrates 80 years of dominance creating revolutionary new technologies, designs and innovations.  In the 1920s Speedo® made history with the Racerback: the world’s first non-wool suit.  In 2007 the legacy continues with the launch of Fastskin® FS-PRO - the fastest and most powerful lightweight suit on the market - and with Speedo®’s acclaimed designer collaborations with Comme des Garçons. As the world’s leading swimwear brand, Speedo® is passionate about life in and around the water, supporting swimming from beginners through to elite level.  Speedo® is owned by Pentland Brands and distributed in over 170 countries around the world; to find out more visit: www.speedo.co.uk