Strong performances and state qualifying times recorded at Albany Short Course Swim Carnival over the weekend

More than 150 swimmers from across WA converged on Albany at the weekend for the annual Albany Short Course Carnival, with competitors chasing medals and State qualifying times.

The Albany Leisure and Aquatic Centre was closed to the public as 158 swimmers from 27 metropolitan and regional clubs took to the pool across two days of competition.

The carnival was hosted by Albany Swim Club which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, and the home side impressed by finishing with three gold, five silver and nine bronze medals.

UWA-West Coast topped the club standings, followed by Albany Swimming Club in second and Kalgoorlie in third.

Mt Barker’s Kaleb Zijlstra was named the competition’s top multi-class swimmer, while Busselton’s Louis Fisher finished runner-up.

Top 10 swimmers in the under-12’s meet were Irmuun Amarbayasgalan (Kalgoorlie), Angela Gan (Riverton Aquanauts), Annie Jackson (UWA-West Coast), Mason Fourie (Albany), Zali Slade (Kalgoorlie), Oliver Samuels (Kalgoorlie), Aidan Fisher (Busselton), Chloe Barden (Mt Barker), Scarlett Downes (Bunbury) and Cora Jenkinson (Riverside).

Top 10 swimmer in the over-13’s meet were Daniel Angelevski (Riverside), Mia Forrest (Busselton), Lachlan Stif le (Australind), Aden Ma (Southside Penrhos Wesley), Benjamin Eikelboom (Bunbury), Lynlee Stif le (Australind), Mackenzie Miller (Westside Christ Church), Morgan Hill (Australind), Jeremy Colman (UWA-West Coast), Lillian Molenda (Albany Swimming Club).

Albany swim meet officer Kaye Bolger said the weekend delivered strong performances across the board.

“The weekend went well, we had good participation from everybody, lots of happy swimmers, some good times recorded and some very good results,” she said.

Ms Bolger said Albany’s novice swimmers made significant improvements including lots of personal bests.

“Albany had quite a few novice swimmers and they did lots of personal bests, so they recorded some really good times,” she said.

“The improvement in their standard from their last swims proved that their training had been really going right for them.

“The coaches were happy with their swims and quite a number of them achieved junior State qualifying times which is what they were after.”

She said swimmers from visiting clubs also achieved qualifying standards they had travelled to Albany to chase.

“I believe several of the swimmers from some of the other clubs, particularly Kalgoorlie, were here for that purpose and they achieved quite a few junior qualifying times as did Bunbury and Busselton,” she said.

“I think overall everyone were all quite happy with what they achieved.”

Ms Bolger praised the volunteers, technical officials and spectators who helped make the event a success.

“We had really good numbers of technical officials and people running the event which made it nice and smooth,” she said.

“We had our full contingent of entries turn up and lots of spectators down there to see what was a really good event.

“It was good for Albany and good for the town to get people in.”