Short course carnival swimmers reach 250

More than 200 competitors will hit the water at this weekend’s annual Albany Short Course Carnival, the largest number of entries in several years.

Albany Leisure and Aquatic Centre will be a hive of activity on Saturday and Sunday as the Albany Swim Club, along with 18 visiting clubs, battle it out in a carnival that has been held since 1992.

A total of 251 competitors will take part in the competition as Albany’s contingent of 47 swimmers face off against strong visiting squads in UWA West Coast, South Shore, Tuart Hill, Riverton Aquanauts, GMAS Swimming and Guildford Kalamunda.

The event is a welcome one for Albany swimmers, who get their only chance to compete in a sanctioned meet in their home surroundings.

One of the highlights of the program will be the 10-person interclub relay event, and ASC has also introduced Swimming WA’s friendly Splash ‘n’ Dash events to provide a fun opportunity for younger swimmers to participate.

ASC president Lia Shavian said the carnival was the club’s main event on the calendar and always provided a great weekend of tough competition for all involved.

“The weekend of swimming has evolved into an iconic celebration of our club spirit,” Shavian said.

“It is a particularly good opportunity for newer swimmers to get a taste of competition in the familiar setting of their home pool.

“Our dedicated committee have been working hard behind the scenes to put on what is shaping up to be a very successful event.”

The first races are at noon on Saturday and will continue through the afternoon, before the event starts again on Sunday morning.

The Albany Short Course Carnival is one of the few regional meets to offer events for swimmers with a disability, and there will be an increased participation by multi-class competitors this year.

ASC life member and Swimming WA chief referee Kaye Bolger will lead a team of technical officials to ensure the meet is run to a high standard.

She was awarded a gold service pin by Swimming Australia in April at the Australian National Swimming Championships in recognition of her 20-year contribution to officiating the sport.