Issue 8, 2023/2024 by Peter Johnston - 24th November, 2023

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New Records

Congratulations Matthew Vicic and Kylee Murray who set new records in the 400m Freestyle Championships last week.

Matt broke the 16yrs record which had been held by Mitchell Emery since 2006, by almost 9 seconds.

Kylee broke her own record in the Veterans by almost 2 seconds. This record had stood since 2019.

Well done!

Championship Results

Well done to everyone that competed in last week’s 400m Freestyle Championships. The results were:

Lions Club Award

We need lots of help on a Saturday morning to set up, run the races and pack up.

Have you seen someone providing invaluable help? Then give them some recognition by nominating them for the Lions Club Award!

Nominations can be made online here.

How many swims can I do?

The number of events you are eligible to enter each week depends on your age and the championships that are being held that day.

The easiest way to work it out is to check the event details in Swim Central. Each week we break down what events each age group can enter for that week.

You can access this by using the Enter Online button on the Online Entries page of our website, or by clicking the details tab on the event in Swim Central.

It is the swimmer’s responsibility to ensure they enter the correct number of events, and no refunds will be provided if you enter too many.

Free Membership for 8yrs & Under

Do you have a swimmer 8 years or under?

We have a grant from Club Merrylands to cover their membership fees. What do you have to do? Submit a request for reimbursement here.

Conditions apply and are detailed on the website.

Set up & pack up on Saturday Mornings

We need your help setting up and packing up on a Saturday morning.

Please make sure you arrive at the pool before 6:50am so we can get set up, start and finish on time.

Things that need setting up include timekeepers’ chairs, recording table and tent, starting device and stopwatches. The same equipment needs packing up afterwards.

So please don’t wait to be asked, jump in and lend a hand, and if you aren’t sure what needs to be done, Ian Wilson or Graham Edwards will point you in the right direction.

P-Plate Award

P-Platers: they make silly mistakes; we all know it. But they aren’t the only ones. The P-Plate Award recognises (or perhaps highlights) the “Silly Mistake of the Year”.

Any swimmer, spectator or official 17 years or over (because they should know better) is in the running for this prestigious award. The good news is, once you have won it, you are unlikely to win it again (unless you do something really out there).

“So how can I be in the running for this award?”

I’m glad you asked. Previous winners have received the award for feats such as:

• Making their cup of tea using the hotdog water
• Disappearing with their stopwatch to the car park just as a meet was due to start
• Repeatedly pressing the start button on the starting device rather than the microphone button when giving the “Take your marks” command.

If you have seen an outstanding performance, nominate the person here.

Club Uniforms

See the Property Officer, Margaret Edwards for any questions about club uniforms and place an order online.

Entries for Club Races

Entries for Club Races close at 8pm every Thursday. Entries are open multiple weeks in advance, so don’t leave it until the last minute to enter!

Late entries will not be accepted unless, at the discretion of the Race Secretary, exceptional circumstances are considered to exist. A Late Entry Fee will also apply to these entries if they are accepted.

The Race Committee spends a lot of time preparing the entries and program each Friday, so please do them a favour and get your entries in on time.

Bring a Friend

Did you know your friends can Come & Try club races for up to 4 weeks without being a member? Just get them to sign up here.

Timekeeping Tip

Taking times accurately is the single most important responsibility of a Timekeeper to ensure each swimmer is treated fairly and recognised for their performance.

To ensure a proper view of the finish, Lane Timekeepers must stand:

1. at the finish end,
2. of the lane of the swimmer that they are timing,
3. directly over the top of the lane, and
4. looking down the face of the wall.

So, if the swimmer is finishing in a different lane to their starting lane (yes that does happen!), Lane Timekeepers need to move to that lane in order to be over the top of the lane and take the time correctly.

Please note that you can’t accurately take the time from the side of the pool.

Swimming NSW has a free online Timekeeping Course that we encourage all our timekeepers to complete. It takes less than 1 hour to complete. Even if you are a qualified Timekeeper, it is a great refresher.

To find more information about officiating see the Swimming NSW website here.

Upcoming Meet Calendar

Check the website for the full list of upcoming meets, closing dates, programs and qualifying times.