Event: Wiltshire Masters Round 1
Venue: Trowbridge Leisure Centre
Date: 20th February 2010
Almost 100 swimmers aged 19 to 78 from 11 clubs descended on Trowbridge last Saturday for the first round of the Wiltshire Masters Swimming Competition. Amongst them was a squad of 17 from Swindon Dolphin ranging in experience from 2009 National Masters Short Course Champions Jon Audis and Anthony Clark to Colin Jones racing in his first County competition.
Audis showed his world masters ranked pedigree by being one of only five swimmers to take four gold from four events and setting a new county masters record in the 50m backstroke. Also setting a county age group best in the same event was Jose Adam who also picked up a gold medal for her efforts. Other Dolphins striking gold were Mike Eaton (2 gold, 2 silver), Glenys France (2 gold, 1 silver), Paul Kirk (2 gold), Anthony Clark (2 gold), Helen Hanks (1 gold, 2 silver) and Chris Lock (1 gold, 1 silver). Dean Fouracre stepped up to the mark by swimming his first ever 100 butterfly taking home a well earned silver. Also picking up valuable team points in the lower medal places were Cally Gould (2 silver, 1 bronze), Dave Ingram (2 bronze), Dave Gingell (1 bronze), Martin Hayward (1 bronze).
Dolphin were dominant in the relay events winning three of the six team events. A formidable Audis, Clark, Kirk and Eaton were in front from start to finish in their 120-159 years medley event with John Cholod replacing Audis in the 160-199 years freestyle event where again the Dolphin quartet dominated the race. In the 200-239 years mixed medley, Audis, France, Hanks and Lock came from behind in the closing stages to complete the relay hat-trick of gold in a new county record time. Hanks and France were also earlier joined by Gould and Adam to take bronze in the womens 160-199 years freestyle.
The meet finished with Swindon Dolphin and Salisbury both on 78 points with Bradford-on-Avon close behind on 74. This point last year saw Dolphin in first place 40 points ahead of their nearest rival and will surely need to raise their game in the next round to be in with any chance of regaining the overall team trophy from 2009 champions Salisbury.
Full results are available on the Masters Competition Page.
