Swimming: 28th Sacos-sponsored Schools Age Group Championship-Finals on Friday |14 October 2009

There will be a lot of waves in the two swimming pools – 25m and 50m – at Roche Caïman, as the finalists dive to reach the wall first in search of medals.

The finalists have today and tomorrow to put the final touches to their preparation so they will be in the best possible shape for the contest, scheduled for 10.30am.

Swimmers from state and private schools from Mahe and Praslin have made the finals, and they will earn points for their schools according to their final positions in all events they take part in.

For the past two years, the International School Seychelles has made a clean sweep of all 10 trophies, but it is very unlikely it will retain all of them this time.

The 10 age categories in which swimmers compete are boys’ 7-9 years, girls’ 7-9 years, boys’ 10-11 years, girls’ 10-11 years, boys’ 12-13 years, girls’ 12-13 years, boys’ 14-15 years, girls’ 14-15 years, boys’ 16 years and over and girls’ 16 years and over.

To qualify for Friday’s finals, swimmers from Mahe competed in the heats held on two days – Wednesday and Thursday September 23 and 24 – while those from Praslin were in action on Saturday September 26.

The swimmers are allowed to compete in a maximum three individual events in the four strokes – freestyle, backstroke, butterfly and breaststroke – but they can also swim for their schools’ relay teams.

Competitors in the 7-9 and 10-11 categories swim in the six-lane 25m pool and the points awarded for their individual efforts are: first place (8 points), second place (6), third place (4), fourth place (3), fifth place (2) and sixth place (1).

Bigger and more experienced swimmers in the 12-13, 14-15 and 16 years and over categories will be in action in the Olympic-size 50m pool. Competition is expected to be tough among the older swimmers as most of them are getting ready for the African Junior Championships in Mauritius.

The eight finalists will be awarded points as follows: first place (10 points), second place (8), third place (6), fourth place (5), fifth place (4), sixth place (3), seventh place (2) and eighth place (1).
Record breakers get two bonus points, which are added to their school’s tally.

Last year four swimmers – Amina Ward-Horner (girls’ 12-13 years), Shane Mangroo (boys’ 14-15 years), Shannon Austin (girls’ 14-15 years) and Liza Mangroo (girls’ 16 years and over) – won all three individual finals they competed in.

Another six swimmers – Peter Jung (boys’ 7-9 years), Elle Cafrine (girls’ 7-9 years), Dean Hoffman (boys’ 10-11 years), Ryan Govinden (boys’ 12-13 years), Adam Viktora (boys’ 12-13 years) and Adrian Nanty (boys’ 16 years and over) – each triumphed in two finals.

G. G.