Over 250 athletes from Surf Life Saving and swimming clubs across the state will tussle for top honours at the NSW Pool Lifesaving Championships at the Murray Rose Aquatic & Fitness Centre in Sydney this weekend.
A joint delivery this year between Surf Life Saving NSW and Royal Life Saving, the Pool Lifesaving Championships offers a platform for the state’s best surf swimmers to test their technical skills in a unique setting.
Events are based around speed and the ability to use that speed in lifesaving scenarios, with obstacles and weighted items in place of real-life patients.
The 200m Super Lifesaver will feature, as always, as a premier event of the weekend, consisting of a 75m freestyle swim to recover a submerged manikin, followed by a 50m freestyle to secure a manikin with a rescue tube towed to the finish line. It will close out the Open competition on Sunday afternoon.
“The Pool Lifesaving Championships is a fundamental aspect of our surf sports program,” Surf Life Saving NSW Director of Surf Sports, Don van Keimpema said.
“It’s such a unique event – it’s not like anything else on our calendar and it allows athletes and competitors to really focus on the skills required to save a life.
“It’s not necessarily about being the fastest swimmer or the most athletic competitor, I think that’s what makes it such an interesting event.”
South Maroubra SLSC will make the short trip to Point Piper with the largest contingent, bringing 23 competitors, while Warilla-Barrack Point SLSC and Shelly Beach SLSC will make the slightly longer journey with 20 or more competitors each as well.
From the Illawarra, Bulli SLSC will travel with a squad of 16 but all eyes will be firmly on teen sensation Brayden Woodford who last year picked up seven gold medals at the NSW Pool Lifesaving Championships in Woy Woy.
Woodford posted a pair of blistering times, first a near-unbelievable 17.71 second race in the 50m Freestyle with Fin, then a 2:22:12 in the U17 Male Super Lifesaver – a time which would have also won him the Open event and was the fastest across the day.
The Melbourn sisters, Jocelyn and Dominique, will be looking to outdo their collective six-gold haul from last year, however the latter has swapped her North Curl Curl SLSC cap for that of Newport SLSC and will compete, albeit indirectly, with Jocelyn.
Many medals won’t be defended by those who won them last year, meaning a relatively new crop of athletes will announce themselves this time around.
“We’re really pleased with the turnout we are expecting at the weekend,” Don continued.
“It’s so important away from the surf to be keeping active and working on our skills. The Pool Rescue Championships provides an excellent platform for volunteers to practice their skills in a competitive environment that we find brings out the best in everyone.”
NSW Pool Rescue coaches will also have a watchful eye on the athletes this weekend ahead of naming the NSW Team to contest the Interstate Pool Rescue Championships.
The 2023 NSW Pool Lifesaving Championships will take place from 22-23 April at the Murray Rose Aquatic & Fitness Centre (New South Head Road at Wunulla Road, Point Piper).
EVENTS
Line Throw – 12.5 metres
Line Throw 10 metres
200m Obstacle Race
100m Obstacle Race
50m Obstacle Race
4x50m Obstacle Relay
50m Manikin Carry
50m Brick Carry
4x25m Brick Relay
4x25m Manikin Relay
100m Manikin Tow with Fins
100m Manikin Carry with Fins
100m Rescue Medley
4x50m Medley Relay
50m Freestyle with Fins
200m Super Lifesaver
COMPETING CLUBS
Bondi SBLSC
Broulee Surfers SLSC
Bulli SLSC
Caves Beach SLSC
Cronulla SLSC
Elouera SLSC
Enfield Lifesaving Club
Engadine Swimming Club
Hills Swimming & LIfesaving
Newport SLSC
North Cronulla SLSC
North Curl Curl SLSC
North Wollongong SLSC
Parramatta City Swim Club
Redhead SLSC
Shelly Beach SLSC
South Maroubra SLSC
Tamarama SLSC
Terrigal SLSC
Umina SLSC
Wanda SLSC
Warilla Barrack Point SLSC
Full event info here.
Thursday 20 April 2023