{"id":740,"date":"2016-04-06T17:56:08","date_gmt":"2016-04-06T15:56:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.e-spectations.com\/swimming\/?p=740"},"modified":"2016-04-06T17:56:08","modified_gmt":"2016-04-06T15:56:08","slug":"regional-swimming-champs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/e-spectations.com\/swimming\/2016\/04\/06\/regional-swimming-champs\/","title":{"rendered":"Regional swimming champs 2016"},"content":{"rendered":"

Swimming South Africa Level 1<\/h2>\n

Regional swimming champs 2016 results<\/h2>\n
\"regional

Regional swimming champs 2016 – 12 events, 6 finals and 3 medals in 4 x 100 m freestyle relay, 200 m freestyle and bronze in Medley relay<\/p><\/div>\n

Swimming South Africa (SSA) 2016 regional swimming champs:<\/h3>\n

We spent 3 days (1-3 April) at Kings park pool attending the annual Swimming South Africa regional championships<\/a><\/span>. \u00a0Our region consists of Northern Cape, Free State, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal. \u00a0This is the last event on the swim calendar and the last time swimmers get an opportunity to increase their standing in the national swim rankings in each age group. \u00a0The updated rankings are published on the first of May every year, which earmarks the beginning of the new season.<\/p>\n

This year, swimmers from Mozambique, Namibia and Zambia also attended the event, giving the regional swimming champs<\/em><\/strong> a nice international flavor.<\/p>\n

Monica\u00a0took part in 12 events and 3 relays over 3 days, 3 weeks after her ninth birthday. \u00a0Her events were all in the 10 & Under Age group.<\/p>\n

SSA L1 regional champs Day 1 – Friday, 1 April 2016:<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Our first day was hectic. \u00a0We woke up to a 31 Degree Celcius day with a 59 – 75% humidity. \u00a0The stadium became like an oven and most spectators fled from the hot stadium, looking for colder air outside just to experience more heat and humidity outside.<\/p>\n

\"SSA

Women 12 & Under 4 x 50 LC meter Medley relay team – placed third in a time of 2:41:34<\/p><\/div>\n

Due to the extreme heat and humidity, we were battling to keep our swimmer and ourselves hydrated. \u00a0The swimmers spent too much time at the assembly point, waiting to be seated for their next event (the regional swimming champs<\/strong><\/em> brings over 600 swimmers with qualifying times together to compete for their spot in the rankings).<\/p>\n

    Monica managed to do enough to qualify for the following finals:<\/p>\n
  • Women 10 & U 100 LC meter Freestyle: placed 7\/10 in 1:20:17<\/li>\n
  • Women 10 & U 50 LC meter Backstroke – placed 7\/10 in a personal best of 42:67<\/li>\n
  • Women 10 & U 200 LC meter Individual Medley – placed 6\/10 in 3:19:40<\/li>\n
  • Women 12 & U 4 x 50 m Medley relay – bronze in a time of 2:41:34
    \nMonica swam the Freestyle leg (50 m) in an unofficial time of 34:90 – (Pls note that SSA only makes the results available about 2 weeks odd after the event so we cannot confirm this time yet)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
    SSA L1 regional champs Day 2 – Saturday 2 April 2016:<\/strong><\/h5>\n
    \"Silver

    Silver medalist 200 LC meter freestyle in a time of 2:51:51<\/p><\/div>\n

    On Saturday morning, we experienced a break in the heat wave with some cloudy weather and a temperature of 25 Degrees Celcius. \u00a0Race conditions were much better. \u00a0Monica swam 4 events but did not qualify for the finals in 2 of the events. \u00a0She was the first reserve in both cases. \u00a0The star of the day, however, was the Women 10 & Under 200 LC meter Freestyle<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

    In the morning\u00a0heats, Monica swam a 2:54 and seeded third in the finals. \u00a0We knew she could do a 2:51 but it was up to her to swim faster in the finals than the heats.<\/p>\n

    Making the finals without swimming personal bests in the preliminary races is something swimmers learn. \u00a0 Monica is still learning to just do enough in the prelims to make the finals and in the finals, put all effort in.<\/p>\n

    Monica did not disappoint. \u00a0She \u00a0touched in second place to earn a silver medal in 2:51:51. \u00a0Just a note: \u00a0The 10-year-old swimmers are closer to 11 so there is a bigger difference in their times than that of the 9-year-old swimmers. \u00a0We do, however, teach Monica that age should not matter and she should swim her own race, which she did.<\/p>\n

    Nail biting and great excitement throughout the race – at one moment we thought she would make it, next moment we thought she is giving up and will place third. \u00a0The build-ups we did in training paid off and she sprinted to the end to place second by a touch.<\/p>\n