Spare Inter-Counties come November, the Swim England Short-Course Masters Championships marks the end of the calendar season...and always produces an array of World-beating swims from all ages! So fierce and strong is the competition, that the Phase.1 qualifying times would not have looked out of place at Age-Group level regionals, and this applies to seasoned athletes in their Forties and Fifties, not teenagers. Still, the opening Phase did fill up fast, and come Phase.2 and the modestly slacker benchmarks, such was the influx of interest, thirty minutes post entry, all...

With the principle Master's County Championships moving to the busy September month for the first time, all expected the South East Regional Short Course event to be a little subdued for 2025...and as far as Hampshire went, it was. Depend on the familiar faces of Basingstoke Bluefins and South Down Trojans to bring the pedigree, as well as the more Capital-centric Rushmoor Royals, but notable absences of regulars across all events and distances. Some interesting shifts in race focus, with popular 50m events seemingly dropped in favour of 200m (possible...

For the second year in a row, Hampshire Masters enjoyed not one...but two days of regional racing. The introduction of the longer distance events earlier in 2025 (400m / 800m) offered not only a shot at clocking much-needed qualifying times for the discipline's athletes, but broader baseline for medals - over 300 given out to approximate 160 senior-aged swimmers by my early estimates! Day one back in April saw Southampton Masters come away with a touch of metal - Tim O'Brien securing the title over the 400m FC (06.09.69) in...

August is traditionally a quiet month for Masters, a chance to recharge ahead of the hectic final third of the calendar year - Counties/Regionals/National Short Course championships all on the horizon. 2025 however did see a return to World Masters swimming, and for those fortunate enough to make the long trip out to Singapore, quite the spectacle! So often the discipline is over looked by the International governing bodies (a sour taste persists from London 2016 and the European Masters Championships), but recent entries have started to add some much...

For the very first time, the annual British Masters Long Course Championships secured its venue in the captial...and not just any venue, a venue of Olympic proportions! The iconic London Aquatics Centre became home for the three days of veteran competition, and as expected only a few months' out from Worlds in Singapore, a medley of Britsh, European and World records were struck. Once the announcement was made that Queen Elizabeth Park was to be playing host, entries swarmed - despite challenging Phase One qualifying times across all age divisions...

New to the Southampton Masters calendar, Gloucester has hosted a popular veterans event for several years - proving popular not just with the West Country, but increasingly so with much of Wales, the Midlands and Armed Forces. With an expectionally busy June period on the horizon and just weeks' away from the closing of Phase.1 British Masters, the City's varied distance programme drew in considerable crowds all seeking to snip a few seconds off their Season's Bests. A quartet of Reds made the two hour journey through the pictureque Cotswolds...

What was once a subtle Masters meet crusing very much under the radar (or sonar!), the annual Royal Navy Masters Meet has rapidly become a staple for the veterans calendar. Boasting a great venue at Millfield School, broad range of races and of course, charitable for the Royal British Legion ... as Nationals loom and the London Aquatics Centre gears up to host the discipline for the first time, early-bird entry events like this offer much needed chances to get times on the board. A sneak peek at qualifying times...

Congratulations to all the junior swimmers that raced at the Hampshire county championships this weekend. The team was hit with a few athletes either unwell or injured. We wish you a speedy recovery. Thank you to the Team managers for all your support and free time you gave to help the swimmers. Great job to all the swimmers that raced over the weekend. 119 swims 86 personal best times 31 finals 1DQ 4 gold �� 4 silver �� 5 bronze �� Well done to the coaches. Roll on next month...

It’s official! For the first time in 11 years, our swimming club has been promoted to the prestigious Premier League of the National Arena League South. This milestone achievement caps off an unforgettable 2024 for our team, with swimmers aged 10 and upwards delivering standout performances across a series of meets late in the year. Their hard work, determination, and exceptional team spirit saw us rack up the highest points total of any club—a truly remarkable feat. Head Coach Matt Heathcock, who took the reins in August 2022, expressed his...

Arguably the hardest Masters competition of each year, post the festive break and minimal training straight into a Long Course championships with stern opposition...and Crawley's K2 Centre, which does nobody any favours with its flimsy wave breakers and freezing cold poolside conditions (made worse this year with a broken fire door and ambient outdoor temperate of 4 degrees! Wonderful for anyone drawn in lanes 6,7 or 8.) Still, a trio of Southampton Masters made the South London trip, again opting for a single day of the weekend long programme but...