Masters <strong>Swimming</strong> Section MASTERS SWIMMING MASTERS Masters <strong>Swimming</strong> is competitive swimming for adults. From small beginnings in the 1970s and 1980s this branch of aquatic sport has grown from a pastime for a few into a worldwide movement. <strong>The</strong> history of Masters <strong>Swimming</strong> is brief. <strong>The</strong> first recorded meet was held in Amarillo, Texas, in May 1970, which attracted 65 swimmers. Gradually the idea that you could swim after the age of 20 spread world wide. FINA introduced a World Masters <strong>Swimming</strong> Championships meet in 1986, and Masters <strong>Swimming</strong> formed a major part of the first World Masters Games, held in 1985. <strong>The</strong> first masters meet in Great Britain was promoted by the Otter SC at the City University pool London, in 1972. <strong>The</strong> first English (<strong>ASA</strong>) championships were held at York in 1981, and the first GB Masters Championships were held at Port Talbot in 1987, the same year as the first LEN European Masters Championship, held at Blackpool. <strong>The</strong> general format of masters meets is similar the world over. Events are swum either as graded heats (with swimmers arranged from slowest to fastest with no age consideration) or, in some major competitions, in heats arranged by speed within age groups. Age groups are almost universally the standard fiveyear groups starting from 25-29 years. Many competitions, including the <strong>ASA</strong> and British <strong>Swimming</strong> Championships, incorporate younger age groups such as an 18-24 years ‘Senior’ group as well. <strong>The</strong> concept of adult competition has also spread to other aquatic disciplines, with well-established events in diving, open water swimming, water polo, and synchronised swimming. Records are maintained for all standard events in both 25 and 50 metre formats, and annual top-ten ranking lists are compiled on a British, European, and World basis. <strong>The</strong> standard of swimmers at the leading edge of masters is extremely high, with some former internationals swimming faster than they did in their elite days. But Masters is not confined to the former elite: participation, enjoyment, and health are the three major planks of Masters <strong>Swimming</strong>. Masters <strong>Swimming</strong> in England is promoted through the <strong>ASA</strong> Technical Masters Committee, which reports to the Strategic Delivery Group for Health and Participation. Each <strong>ASA</strong> Region also has a Masters Committee and a Masters secretary who between them promote Masters <strong>Swimming</strong> in the eight Regions. Many, though not all, counties also promote competition within their county areas. As well as staging the annual <strong>ASA</strong> Masters Championships the <strong>ASA</strong> Masters Committee also promotes the postal ‘T-30 Challenge’ (formerly the Half Hour Swim competition) and the Inter-Counties Competition. This last event is an interesting development as the overall result is obtained from the performances achieved in four separate regional heats (the North East and North West Regions generally swimming their heat together). <strong>The</strong>re were some 6900 <strong>ASA</strong> swimmers registered as Masters swimmers according to a 2006 survey conducted as part of a national review of masters swimming. <strong>The</strong>re is also a Masters Committee within British <strong>Swimming</strong>. At British level there is a long course championship normally held in June, and the Committee also oversees aspects of Masters swimming which have a British dimension, including the maintenance of Masters record lists (including nominating British performances for European and World records), a central Masters ranking list, the Masters <strong>Swimming</strong> Decathlon competition, and the organization of a social event at World and European Masters Championships. 86
SYNCHRONISED SWIMMING SECTION