CSSC Masters August round up - Worlds and Lakes

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 needed gloss and fanfare neatly carried over from the Performance events that immediately precede. The Asian Island country flexed its economic muscles over a full programmed week - freshly built 50m pools, changing villages, training facilities and media suites...and initial feedback from British Masters in attendance was glowing. Hampshire/Channel Islands had much to celebrate, from Jo Corben of South Down Trojans claiming multiple titles over Backstroke and IM, to Martin Bennell of Basingstoke Bluefins achieving lifelong ambitions standing atop of the podium. For Southampton, Tim O'Brien (70-74yrs) was our sole representative, and packed in the metres with solid swims over the 100m FC (01.24.24), 100m Breaststroke (01.40.75), 200m FC (03.03.14) and 50m Breastroke (00.42.97)...all Top.20 placings and the final sprint even earning the last Top.10 slot - thankfully, no finals! 

A touch closer to home, Fiona Carroll (30-34yrs) continued her recovery from both back and knee surgeries...never settling for an placid challenge. The familiar long swims of Sweden drew the Open Water specialist back, with the epic Vidostern trial of 21km requiring over six hours of endurance swimming! Carroll comfortably took the Ladies title in six hours and seven minutes - a ful hour ahead of her nearest rival. Plenty of time to take in the breathtaking scenery the Nordic Country has to offer (if not tired of it by then!)

Panoramas of equal beauty in Scotland and the eerie shores of Loch Lomond - and a debut for James MacTavish (40-44yrs) in the Great Scottish Swim. The Go Swim series consists of three loch challenges - Tay/Lomond/Morlich - and a range of distances offered from brief 750m loops to full 10km. MacTavish opted for a middle band of 3km in 15 degrees temperatures, and despite getting a little lost around the course (inclement weather not helping!) managed to claim the Mens Vets Title (40yrs+) in a respectable 50mins. Sharing the podium was Winchester's Cathy Munro, the Super Vet (60yrs+) taking the corresponding Ladies Title, whislt raising over £1000 for McMillian Cancer Research - Go Swim's principle charity partner. 

It'll be a sharp gear change over September and October as pool swimming resumes - a quick 50m dash most welcome for some of us!

James MacTavish

CSSC Masters