The week began with the open water event, consisting of a choppy 3km course at the Yeosu EXPO Ocean Park, about 60 miles from Gwangju. This was then followed up by 7 days in the Nambu University International Aquatics Centre, a wonderful Olympic-level facility complete with both indoor & outdoor 50m warm-up pools.
Team GB had some outstanding results throughout the championships, with a significant contribution from Otter!
Hayley Davies (W 35-39) became very acquainted with the podium, totaling 4 silver medals & 2 gold medals overall, and 6 for 6 cuddly Otters! On top of that, she achieved 2 Otter club records in the 800 Freestyle & 200 Backstroke:
3km Open Water 41:21, 2nd
800 Freestyle 10:02.46, 2nd, Otter record
400 IM 5:31.60, 1st
200 IM 2:33.64, 1st
200 Backstroke 2:31.96, 2nd, Otter record
200 Butterfly 2:30.34, 2nd
Pip Bennett (M 35-39) brought home 2 bronze medals (and more Otters!), as well as achieving 2 other top-20 placings:
3km Open Water 42:12, 3rd
800 Freestyle 9:46.81, 3rd
400 IM 5:30.84, 15th
200 Backstroke 2:36.44, 14th
Catherine Demont (W 25-29) brings home a medal for finishing 5th in the 400 Freestyle (FINA award medals to top-6 placings at World Championships), along with top-10 places in all swims:
100 Freestyle 1:02.95, 9th
200 Freestyle 2:18.58, 8th
100 Butterfly 1:12.02, 7th
400 Freestyle 4:53.97, 5th
Fraser Peh (M 25-29) also took a 5th place medal in the 100 butterfly:
100 Butterfly 59.76, 5th
100 Freestyle 56.48, 22nd
Wade Rimbach (M 35-39) broke 2 Otter club records in the 200 Backstroke and the 400 IM, as well as 2 top-10 finishes:
200 Backstroke 2:25.58 Otter Record, 8th
200 IM 2:23.47, 11th
400 IM 5:13.55 Otter Record, 11th
200 Breaststroke 2:42.29, 12th
400 Freestyle 4:47, 9th
Enrico Hahn (M 35-39) celebrated his final meet as an Otter before returning to his native Germany, by achieving 3 top-20 finishes:
200 Breaststroke 2:44.52, 15th
100 Breaststroke 1:16.44, 24th
400 IM 5:32.29, 16th
200 IM 2:34.70, 19th
Dontony Gill-Nasadi (M 25-29) achieved a lifetime best in the 50 Breaststroke:
50 Breaststroke 34.68, 32nd
200 Breaststroke 3:00.96, 18th
100 Breaststroke 1:18.98, 26th
50 Freestyle 28.46, 52nd
100 Freestyle 1:04.23, 49th
Caspar Stops (M 30-34) also clocked a masters best time in the 200 IM:
200 IM 2:45.58, 18th
100 Freestyle 1:02.64, 34th
50 Freestyle 28.07, 45th
Michael Amos (M 60-64) dusted off his goggles for his first World Masters Championships since 2014 in Montreal:
800 Freestyle 12:09.86, 12th
Special mention to honorary Otters who have been past members, or competed under different teams on this occasion:
Steve Braine (M 65-69), racing under Mid-Sussex Marlins, took home a bronze in the 100 Freestyle, silver in the 50 Butterfly and bronze in the 100 Butterfly.
Susan Pryzwara (W 35-39), racing under SCW Eschborn, won silver in the 50 Backstroke, silver in the 200 IM and bronze in the 100 Backstroke.
Matt Wan (M 30-34), racing under Out To Swim, finished in top-20 places in all 4 of his races.
Adrian Murphy (M 40-44), racing under Trinidad & Tobago Aquatics, made his World Championships debut under his native country’s representing team, competing in various 50s & the men’s medley relay.