PHUKET: The weekend Rocket Science Sports Swim Championships Series, held at Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club, provided a top class age group racing with an electrifying atmosphere over the two days.
With 17 teams, 215 competing athletes and representation from Shanghai, Beijing, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Samui, and Phuket, this event, part of a Rocket Science Sports SWIMCHAMPIONSHIP series of age group swim races around the globe, lived up to all expectations.
The weekend's competition also demonstrated how entire communities can work together with a common goal of providing an excellent springboard for age group swimming competition and age group development.
With the help of major sponsors SAT (Sports Authority Thailand) and Rocket Science Sports, coupled with further funding from SIngha Water, Secure Wealth Management, and Team Extreme (a PIADS parent body), we were able to not only put on a first class swim competition, but to also nurture local talent here in Phuket.
One of our biggest success stories of the meet was the inclusion of five boys from the Thalang and Bang Tao schools, who the Thanyapura aquatics department have been offering lessons to for the past four weeks in the buildup to the meet.
These boys were selected from a larger group of school particpants from last year's Iron Kids triathlon event held at Thanyapura.
Their participation at this year's event proved how within just one month, these five boys went from never undertaken formal swimming lessons, to competing in one of Asia's largest up and coming swim series - and performing incredibly well. So well in fact, that they finished as the 11th placed team.
Our home team the Silverfinz, smashed team record after team record, and recorded one of their largest best time rates of the season, and were leading up until the final session of relay races.
It was here that the Ladies Recreation Club of Hong Kong provided strength in depth and BIS fielded some strong final relays to snatch second and third.
After a full weekend of racing the Top Team awards came down to a nailbiting finish with the Ladies Recreation Club from Hong Kong taking the top honors, with British Internatinoal School in second and Silverfinz in a close third.
Just 60 points seperated the top four teams over the weekends swimming, and with the Top Male Award going to Gian Berino of the Philippines (World Student Games representative), and Top Female Award going to Francesca Leung of Coast Aquatics, Hong Kong (Hong Kong National Team representative), the aim of this competition spanning a diverse range of abilities and demographics was exceeded beyond expectations.
Many of the visiting teams are remaining to continue training in the world class facilities of Thanyapura, and will then return to their home countries to compete in one last major event of the season.
Presenting the awards will be world-renowned and well-respected coach, Roly Crichton from England who is now based in New Zealand and has coached one of the most successful Paralympic swimmers of all time, Sophie Pascoe, winner of six gold and four silver medals at the Beijing and London Olympics.
Crichton now works with many international triathletes and top swimmers including Olympic triathletes Andrea Hewitt, Laurant Vidal, Tony Moulai and Kris Gemmel.
Virat Patee, SAT Governor of Phuket was present to present the prizes.
With 17 teams, 215 competing athletes and representation from Shanghai, Beijing, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Samui, and Phuket, this event, part of a Rocket Science Sports SWIMCHAMPIONSHIP series of age group swim races around the globe, lived up to all expectations.
The weekend's competition also demonstrated how entire communities can work together with a common goal of providing an excellent springboard for age group swimming competition and age group development.
With the help of major sponsors SAT (Sports Authority Thailand) and Rocket Science Sports, coupled with further funding from SIngha Water, Secure Wealth Management, and Team Extreme (a PIADS parent body), we were able to not only put on a first class swim competition, but to also nurture local talent here in Phuket.
One of our biggest success stories of the meet was the inclusion of five boys from the Thalang and Bang Tao schools, who the Thanyapura aquatics department have been offering lessons to for the past four weeks in the buildup to the meet.
These boys were selected from a larger group of school particpants from last year's Iron Kids triathlon event held at Thanyapura.
Their participation at this year's event proved how within just one month, these five boys went from never undertaken formal swimming lessons, to competing in one of Asia's largest up and coming swim series - and performing incredibly well. So well in fact, that they finished as the 11th placed team.
Our home team the Silverfinz, smashed team record after team record, and recorded one of their largest best time rates of the season, and were leading up until the final session of relay races.
It was here that the Ladies Recreation Club of Hong Kong provided strength in depth and BIS fielded some strong final relays to snatch second and third.
After a full weekend of racing the Top Team awards came down to a nailbiting finish with the Ladies Recreation Club from Hong Kong taking the top honors, with British Internatinoal School in second and Silverfinz in a close third.
Just 60 points seperated the top four teams over the weekends swimming, and with the Top Male Award going to Gian Berino of the Philippines (World Student Games representative), and Top Female Award going to Francesca Leung of Coast Aquatics, Hong Kong (Hong Kong National Team representative), the aim of this competition spanning a diverse range of abilities and demographics was exceeded beyond expectations.
Many of the visiting teams are remaining to continue training in the world class facilities of Thanyapura, and will then return to their home countries to compete in one last major event of the season.
Presenting the awards will be world-renowned and well-respected coach, Roly Crichton from England who is now based in New Zealand and has coached one of the most successful Paralympic swimmers of all time, Sophie Pascoe, winner of six gold and four silver medals at the Beijing and London Olympics.
Crichton now works with many international triathletes and top swimmers including Olympic triathletes Andrea Hewitt, Laurant Vidal, Tony Moulai and Kris Gemmel.
Virat Patee, SAT Governor of Phuket was present to present the prizes.
