No rest for the weary as GSC runs back-to-back competitions

WITH the closure of Beau Sejour pool next month, the Guernsey Swimming Club has a gruelling November schedule to complete all its club championships. Having just completed the Gasa TSB 100m Sprint Championships at 9pm the previous day, the weary swimmers were back in the water at 7.30 next morning to face the men's 200m breaststroke (time ran out four nights previously to complete the races), the 400m freestyle and the prestigious 200m States Cup.

As expected, new records and personal bests were few and far between as the previous day had taken its toll.

But there was no stopping the GSC's star, Ben Lowndes, on a mission to complete the 2004 calendar in style. He dominated every race, taking all lead titles.

The previous day's hard racing showed in the 400m freestyle; usually Lowndes would swim this race in 4.08, but he took a leisurely pace and clocked in at 4.17. He won the breaststroke and States Cup, five seconds outside the records.

In the girls' 400m freestyle, 16 years and over, the Hume sisters, Christine and Sarah, put on an amazing performance and raced neck and neck.

In the final 15 metres, Sarah managed a final surge to touch first with a personal best of 4-51.18 to Christine's 4-51.61.

But it was the latter who took the edge in the breaststroke and States Cup, winning the former in a new record of 2-44.99, leaving Sarah to pick up the silver medals.

The girls also won a silver and bronze between them in the backstroke.

Staying with the Hume family, younger brother Stewart also went home a medal winner, taking silver in the breaststroke and 400m freestyle and bronze in the States Cup and backstroke.

In all the other age groups, the winning titles were shared around. The 11-years-and-under 200m backstroke winner was nine-year-old Ellie Ogier, who also swam the 400m freestyle for the first time.

Eleven-year-old Emily Atkinson won the breaststroke.

Harriet Le Page and Lorna Castle took a title apiece in the 12/13-years category, Le Page the backstroke and Castle the breaststroke, as well as the junior title in the 400m freestyle in a personal best of 5-48.46.

Jo Laine won the backstroke and Alison Cann the breaststroke in their 14/15-years group and Sophie Castle won the 16-years-and-over backstroke as well as managing to grab third place in the 400m freestyle.

For the boys, there were shared titles as well. Although 15-year-old Tom Hamon won in both the backstroke and breaststroke, against the might of Lowndes in the 400m freestyle and States Cup he had to make do with second placings.

Two Matthews recorded the fastest times in the 12/13-years group, Girard the backstroke and Butt the breaststroke. Girard also won bronze in the 14-years-and-under 400m freestyle.

Nine-year-old Luke Winberg continues to outshine in his age group, winning the backstroke and recording the fastest nine-year-old time in the 400m freestyle of 6-48.53, swimming this for the first time. Eleven-year-old Joshua Moore won the breaststroke.