Contents
Introduction
Masters Inter-Counties Championships
County Masters Records
Recent Achievements
---(1) Bedford Synchro success at British Gas Masters Synchro Competition
---(2) Book on Triathlon Training
Beds Masters Decathlon Challenge 2012 - Progress
Team Luton SC 2013 Masters Long Course Open Meet
Splash! filming at Inspire Luton Sports Village
Obituary - Willy van Rysel (1916-2012)

Introduction
Many thanks to all those who have sent reports included in this issue of the newsletter. As always, the reports are the sole views of the authors and Beds ASA bears no responsibility for their accuracy. If you or your club has done something of note, please let us know and we will include it in the next issue.

Masters Inter-Counties Championships
The Masters Inter-County was held at Newmarket on the 18th November 2012. Despite the event clashing with the Team Luton open meet, and losing three swimmers at the last moment through illness, the Bedfordshire Masters team fielded a depleted team, but managed to fill all of the 68 events.

It is always going to be hard to compete against the strong counties of Essex and Hertfordshire, even with a full team, but everyone swam well, and eventually finished in fourth place out of the five counties represented. Cambridgeshire could not get a team together.

Final Points
Essex 258
Norfolk 233
Hertfordshire 225
Bedfordshire 160
Suffolk 139

Bedfordshire managed seven individual wins, and three relay first places. The individual wins came from Graham Powell (Team Luton) in the 55 + over Backstroke, Dave Cartledge (Modernians) 45 + over Butterfly, Rebecca Warner (Modernians) 18 + over Butterfly, Marcel Scholten (Modernians) 45 + over Breaststroke and Freestyle, Charlotte Ovenden (Modernians) 18 + over Breaststroke and Sarah Pearse (South Beds) 25 + over Breaststroke.

The relay wins came in the Mens 180 + Medley relay, with the team of Howard Gell (South Beds) and the Modernians trio of Dave Cartledge, Marcel Scholten, and summer channel swimmer Ian Stoughton.

The other two relay wins both came in the 220 + Mixed teams, in the Medley event, Graham Powell (Team Luton) was joined by three from South Beds, Peter Iles, Jackie Maycock, and Christine Ayers, and in the Freestyle event, Graham was replaced by South Beds swimmer Chris Marshall.

When all of the results from the seven districts were collated, Bedfordshire finished in 16th. place out of the 28 Counties that participated this year, a drop of two places from last year.

Bedfordshire swimmers who finished in a top six position nationally were, Charlotte Ovenden 2nd 18 -24 50m Breaststroke, Sarah Pearse 6th. 25 -34 50m Breaststroke, Marcel Scholten 4th 45 -54 50m Breaststroke, and Graham Powell 3rd 55 -64 50m Backstroke.
Report by John Bellis

County Masters Records
Keith Spence (South Beds Masters) our Records Keeper has been busy revising the Beds Masters Records, which are online at: http://www.bedscountyasa.com/ . See bottom of "Swimming Records" page below other county records.

Bedfordshire Masters were well represented at the National Master Championships in Sheffield with strong teams from South Beds and Team Luton. Lawrence Palmer (Team Luton) did very well, as too did Lucy Gregory (South Beds) as you can see from the latest Beds Masters records (online, see above), Lucy also was part of a team that set 2 relay records. So that’s 7 county records each.

We have been discussing the rules for relay records following a case where a team swam their event in a team-order that was different to that submitted on the entry form. To clarify the rules, the first swimmer in the relay team may claim an individual county record for their first leg swim. If the team swims in a different order to that submitted, the team should be disqualified and may not claim any record (individual or team).

Recent Achievements

1) Bedford Synchro success at British Gas Masters Synchro Competition
Bedford Synchro swimmers have had success at the recent British Gas Masters Synchro. Competition. Bedford swimmer Rachel Leontyne (60.000) secured the win in the 40-49yrs age group for her technical routine, with Seymour’s Charlotte Hedge (59.000) and Nicolette Watson (44.625) claiming second and third respectively.

Highlights of the British Gas Masters Synchro. Competition are at:-
http://www.swimming.org/asa/news/swimming/woolley-puts-on-a-masterclass-at-synchronised-swimming-championships/15489/
Report by Joanne Mckeown (info@bedfordsynchro.co.uk)

2) Book on Triathlon Training

Mark Kleanthous

Mark Kleanthous is a keen triathlete who has spent 30 years in the sport. Amazingly, Mark is a 450+ Triathlon Finisher, 75 x Marathon Finisher, 34 x IronMan Finisher, 2 x Double IronMan and 1 x Triple IronMan. He has covered more than 6,000 miles swimming 175,000 cycling & 51,000 miles running. Probably more triathlons than anyone else in the world!

During that time he has assimilated and developed training methods that can be applied to sports such as Masters swimming. He is sharing his experience in a book on the subject.
(Forward by Paul Clarke).

My name is Mark Kleanthous and I live in Leighton Buzzard I have just completed my 30th season in triathlon and have recently had my book published "The Complete Book of Triathlon Training" a book all about Triathlon. It contains help with learning physical and mental training, equipment, race preparation, safety, diet and nutrition. There is help on constructing a training routine and how to approach a competition and more.

There is a cross-over from those taking up triathlon to swimming masters events or open water competitions. Due to the Olympics, Triathlon and Open Water 10km as Olympic events are more popular than ever. The British Gas open water events attract up to 10,000 competitors.

I now have a lake used solely for open water swim coaching from March to September for anyone interested, it is situated a few miles south of Milton Keynes. I set up Leighton Buzzard Triathlon club 12 months ago & we already have 60 members and swim training is at Tiddenfoot Leisure Centre Leighton Buzzard on Thursday evenings.

Copies of the book can be obtained for £24.95 inc. UK P&P from the website:- http://www.ironmate.co.uk/shop.htm or Leighton Buzzard Sports, North Street, Leighton buzzard or from Amazon or any good book shop.
Report from Mark Kleanthous (mark@ironmate.co.uk )

Beds Masters Decathlon Challenge 2012 - Progress
We have almost completed the season and the National database includes most of the results. There are a few late competitions and corrections before the results are finalised, which is expected by February 2013. The top five county Masters rankings which have been extracted from the database, are like this, (national position in brackets) on 17 December 2012:

(a) Top Five Beds Women Masters
In the women's competition, Christine Ayers is still romping away to becoming ladies Decathlon Champ and Janet Masters has also put in a strong all-round performance. Louise Jarvis has made a late challenge and jumped into fourth spot.

(b) Top Five Beds Men Masters
In the Men's, Marcel Scholten with seven swims, has retained his leading position achieved with a few quality swims that earned high points. He is closely followed by club mate Dave Cartledge who also has three events in hand and these two will be hard to beat.

Team Luton SC 2013 Masters Long Course Open Meet
The entry pack for the Team Luton Long Course Master Meet to be held at Inspire Luton Sports Village on Saturday 18th May 2013 is now available at:-
http://www.teamluton.com/index.php/competitions/long-course-masters-meet
The organiser, Simon Gee is also looking for offers of help with officiating. If you
could help, or point people in his direction, email:- officials@teamluton.com .

Splash! filming at Inspire Luton Sports Village

Outside Broadcast units at Inspire

Following a successful pilot, Tom Daley is leading a TV series of celebrity diving competitions called "Splash!", similar in approach to "Strictly come Dancing", where Tom and professional coaches teach celebrities to dive. Each week the winning celebrity diver(s) will be selected by public vote and will be forwarded to the (semi-) final(s). ITV's production company, TwoFourTV has a contract with Luton Borough Council to film the events at Inspire LSV. The public can apply for free tickets to see the shows from the website:-
http://www.applausestore.com/applausestore-reserve-form.php?id=2095&bid=4
The dates are January 3, 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26 and February 1, 2. The competition pool will be closed for swimming on these dates.

Obituary - Willy van Rysel (1916-2012)
Many younger swimmers won't know the lady, but she was instrumental in helping to get Masters off the ground in this country.

Born Wilhemina van Rijsel, she came to Britain in 1948 as a would-be Channel swimmer and was constantly pursued by the paparazzi. Her swimming plans made headlines. She became a leading open water swimmer. She also played water polo and gave demonstrations of springboard diving. She had a major hand in introducing synchronised swimming to Britain in the 1950s. Her greatest legacy, however, centres on her characteristically dogged 1970s campaign for the introduction of Masters swimming. She won hundreds of British, European and World Masters records and was swimming (mainly backstroke) well into her nineties. I found her to be determined and independent.
See further details at:- http://www.independent.co.uk:80/news/obituaries/willy-van-rysel-longdistance-swimming-pioneer-8221867.html?origin=internalSearch

Paul Clarke (Beds ASA Masters Secretary)
swimsite@freeuk.com
01582 508616