Swimmers' smiles mask an ever-keen will to win

SOME of Europe's top masters swimmers will be in Guernsey from tomorrow for the 14th Guernsey Open International Masters meet. A total of 180, aged from 25 to 81, will compete in more than a thousand races over the weekend.

'This is a very competitive sport and although some are of advancing years, most will not have lost the will to win,' said event organiser John Eyre.

'We are again privileged to have several of Europe's top masters swimmers coming, some in a new age group. Swimmers are from Spain, Switzerland and from all parts of England.

'Some are coming to Guernsey for the first time but many are here for the 13th or 14th time. The standard of competition is very high for a club competition.'

Eyre said that he expected world, European and British records to fall during the meet, but maybe not as many as in previous years.

Top visiting swimmers include Jane Asher, from London, who is now in the International Masters Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale, USA. Now 74, she has dominated her age group for the past 20 years and holds 13 world records, including all those in freestyle and backstroke.

Joaquin Canales de Mendoza, from Spain, will clash with David Cumming, from Eastbourne, in the over-65s group and are respectively world and European record holders in the 100m butterfly.

Esther Iseppi, 47, of the Aquatic Masters Team, from Zurich, is one of three Swiss swimmers and makes a return to one of her favourite meets. She will be a favourite for gold in most of the races she has entered.

Guernsey Swimming Club has 29 competitors taking part, from Katherine Andrews, 26, to 78-year-old Bernie Savage.

Beau Sejour Barracudas will have 12 swimmers, Jersey Tigers four and four members of the Guernsey Special Olympics team have entered.

Top local swimmers are expected to be GSC coach Jo Winberg, 40, who will compete against British record holder Hayley Bettinson, from Birmingham, in most of the 10 events she has entered and former Island Games medallist John Tomlin, now 32, who returns refreshed from warm-weather training in Lanzarote.

More than 750 'medals' will be presented during the weekend, in the form of new Guernsey coins in a presentation case - £2 for first, £1 second and a 50p piece for third.

The meet ends with a traditional 'cool down' in the sea on Sunday afternoon.