On Saturday, October 28th, more than 100 athletes participated in the Cromwell Spring Carnival held at the Cromwell Pool. While some swimmers were competing for the first time, others were honing their racing skills. It was a great day, with 183 personal best times achieved, and several athletes met the qualifying standards for national events in 2024 – a true testament to their hard work and dedication. Well done!

The Roaring Meg Classic is a popular event at the Cromwell Spring Carnival and is a great way to kick off the afternoon session. Based on the 50m Freestyle results, the six best swimmers from each age group are selected to compete in the 2x50m Freestyle Relay. The top finishers were

• 9 years & under: Emerson Hawken (Neptune) and James Coleman (Alexandra) – 1:27.22
• 10 - 11 years: Freya Beames (Queenstown) and Lucas Campbell (Johnston Waters) – 1:08.06
• 12 - 13 years: Grace Weaver (Alexandra) and Elias Fraser (Oamaru) – 1:00.62
• 14 - 15 years: Emma Campbell (Swim Timaru) and Neo Salomonsson (Kiwi) – 55.75
• 16 years & over: Sophie Winter (Alexandra) and Caleb Ludlow (Alexandra) – 54.06

The Cromwell Swim Centre's 10th Anniversary Trophy is awarded to the male and female athletes with the highest scores. Congratulations to Olivia Biggar (Murihiku) for accumulating 55 points and Neo Salomonsson (Kiwi) for amassing 90 points and securing the male trophy. The age group winners were;

• 10 years & under: Hattie Olsen-Vetland (South Otago Sharks) and Mac Bedford (Alexandra)
• 11-12 years: Freya Beames (Queenstown) and Finn Garrett (Oamaru)
• 13-14 years: Lily McGrath (Neptune) and Neo Salomonsson (Kiwi)
• 15 years & over: Olivia Biggar (Murihiku) and Caleb Ludlow (Alexandra)

Working alongside the Cromwell Swim Club to organise and deliver this competition was an absolute pleasure. We want to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who contributed to making this event possible. This includes the hardworking Committee who worked tirelessly behind the scenes, our amazing group of technical officials, the volunteers who served as timekeepers or in other capacities, and the incredibly generous sponsors who made the meet possible. Thank you all for your invaluable contributions!

Congratulations to all who took part in this event. We hope you enjoyed it and look forward to seeing you again soon!

Looking for your next racing opportunity? Don't miss out on the Kiwi LC Challenge hosted by the Kiwi Swim Club on Saturday and Sunday, 25-26 November - entries close on Thursday, 16 November, at 11:59PM. Get your entries in now!

Interested in becoming a Technical Official? We will be happy to provide more information and assist you in getting started on your journey; contact us at admin@swimotago.org.
Article added: Tuesday 31 October 2023