Trinity and Musaeus swimmers out for top honours at Swimming Nationals

by Leslie FERNANDO

SWIMMING: Swimmers from Trinity College, the undisputed boys champions and Musaeus College the girls champions, are fancied to come on top at the National Aquatic Championships to be held from October 22 to 24 at the Sugathadasa Stadium pool.

Kiran Atapattu, Secretary, Sri Lanka Aquatic Sports Union (SLASU) said that the National Aquatic Championships 2009 (swimming) will also serve as a trial for the 11th South Asian Games to be held in Bangladesh from January 29th to 7th February 2010.

Kiran added that swimming for juniors will also take place from October 22 to 24. Men, women, boys and girls will compete in 72 events for men and women 22 events each while the boys and girls under - 14 will have 14 events each.

Overall champions will be found on points system set by the SLASU.

In addition to swimming, National Aquatic Championships include Synchronised Swimming, diving and waterpolo.

Synchronised swimming will be on 27 October, diving which started yesterday (17th October) will be continued today while the waterpolo championships will be held on November 21,22 and 29.

Last year, Trinity College carried away the Dudley Senanayake Challenge Trophy, becoming overall champions team with 324 points while Musaeus College was presented the SLASU Challenge Trophy being women’s champions with 161 points. Royal College and Good Shepherd Convent, Kotahena won the men’s and women’s diving championships to take away the Norman Allan Smith Challenge Trophy and SLASU Challenge Trophy respectively.

Royal also became men’s waterpolo champions to take the David Vast Challenge Trophy while Sri Lanka Air Force won the women’s waterpolo championships. Musaeus College retained the Synchronised Swimming title last year and they carried away the Barbara Flamer-Caldera Trophy.

11th South Asian Games - Bangladesh

Atapattu said that selections will be made only in respect of the following events for the South Asian Games (Men): 50 and 100 metres freestyle, 50 and 100 metres back stroke, 50 and 100 metres breast stroke

50 and 100 metres butterfly stroke, 4x100 metres medley relay and 200 metres individual medley relay. Women 50 metres freestyle, 50 metres back stroke, 50 and 100 metres breast stroke, 50 metres butterfly stroke and 4x100 metres medley relay.

A maximum of two competitors will be selected for each of the respective events. The first placed swimmer in the respective individual event will automatically gain selection.

Thereafter the selection of the second competitor will be made on the basis of the closet time to the Gold medal time of the respective events at the 10th South Asian Games on a percentage basis, in all of the above events for the second place to make upto a maximum of 22 men swimmers and upto a maximum of 8 women swimmers for each National Olympic Council using the following formula - SAG Gold Medal time in second, swimmers time in seconds and distance of event.

Whatever the outcome for men, there is a maximum participation of only 11 individual events and for women a maximum participation of 5 individual events which does not mean that 22 men swimmers and 8 women swimmers will be compulsorily be selected for example, a single competitor may gain selection for multiple events.

The National Olympic Council reserves the right to revise this limit which event the same principle will be applied to restrict the team to the revised limit, remarked Atapattu.