Masters squad

Eight BSSC Masters swimmers won medals in every event they entered at the recent Swim England Hertfordshire Masters Championships, bringing home an amazing 22 individual (20 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze) and 5 relay medals (4 Gold, 1 Silver).  Regular competitors Joe Collins, Callum Davis, Alyson Fordham, Niamh James, Jake Lloyd and Sally Winter were joined by Geoff Short and Anel Zuniga-Daly and their superb combined performances resulted in BSSC being the third ranked club in Hertfordshire, an amazing performance for a team of just eight swimmers.

Callum Davis completed an individual clean sweep taking Gold in all five male events in his 18/24Yrs age group; Jake Lloyd was denied the same feat in the 25/29Yrs age group when he was pipped to Gold in the 50m Breaststroke by Joe Collins, but still came away with four Golds and 1 Silver medal; whilst Niamh James, Geoff Short and Sally Winter all won three Golds each.  The relay teams were equally successful, resulting in four Gold and 1 Silver finishes.

Congratulations to all our swimmers and we look forward to even more Masters competing in these championships next year!

Full results:

• Callum Davis (18/24Yrs): Gold 100m IM, 50m Backstroke, 50m Breaststroke, 50m Butterfly, 50m Freestyle
• Niamh James (18/24Yrs): Gold 100m IM, 50m Backstroke, 50m Butterfly
• Jake Lloyd (25/29Yrs): Gold 100m IM, 50m Backstroke, 50m Butterfly, 50m Freestyle, Silver 50m Breaststroke
• Joe Collins (25/29Yrs): Gold 50m Breaststroke
• Geoff Short (35/39Yrs): Gold 50m Backstroke, 50m Butterfly, 50m Freestyle
• Anel Zuniga-Daly (40/44Yrs): Bronze 50m Butterfly
• Sally Winter (60/64Yrs): Gold 50m Backstroke, 50m Butterfly, 50m Freestyle
• Alyson Fordham (65/69Yrs): Gold 50m Freestyle
• Female 072+ Yrs Relay Team (Niamh, Sally, Alyson, Anel): Gold 4x50m Freestyle, Silver 4x50m Medley
• Open/Male 072+ Yrs Relay Team (Jake, Callum, Joe, Geoff): Gold 4x50m Freestyle, Gold 4x50m Medley
• Mixed 160+ Yrs Relay Team (Jake, Joe, Sally, Alyson): Gold 4x25m Medley

The World Aquatics Masters rankings for 2023 have just been published and two BSSC Masters had such a great year that they feature in the World Aquatics Top 10 lists of fastest swimmers! 

Sixty eight year old Alyson Fordham had an amazing 2023, becoming the fastest woman in the WORLD in her 65-69 year age group in the short course (25 pool) 50m & 100m Freestyle, the 100m & 200m Backstroke and the 100m IM.  She showed her versatility by also being the 4^th fastest in the 50m Backstroke, 5^th in the 200m Freestyle and 50m Breaststroke and 7^th in the 100m Breaststroke.  In the long course (50m pool) format, she again topped the world rankings in the 50m Freestyle, was 3^rd fastest in the 100m Freestyle, 4^th in the 50m Breaststroke, 5^th in the 200m Freestyle and 7^th in the 50m Backstroke. 

Lizzie Bellinger (45-49yrs) also got into the 2023 world top 10 rankings for both short course (SC) and long course (LC) events, being the 3^rd fastest competitor in the world in the SC and LC 100m Butterfly, 6^th in the SC and LC 50m Butterfly and the SC 200m IM, 7^th in the SC 400m IM and 9^th in the LC 200m IM.

Alyson’s record breaking times from the 2023 season also increased her entries in the top 10 fastest swims of ALL TIME to ten events (seven short course and three long course).  By the end of 2023, she held the 3^rd fastest time ever swum in the LC 50m Freestyle and the 6^th fastest LC 100m Freestyle, both of which were European records, and the 9^th fastest 50m Breaststroke time.  Her short course performance was even more outstanding as she increased her European record tally to six (50m/100m/200m Freestyle, 100m/200m Backstroke and 100m IM) and achieved the 3^rd fastest swims of all time in the SC 50m and 100m Freestyle, 5^th fastest in the 200m Freestyle, 100m/200m Backstroke and 100m IM and 8^th fastest in the 50m Breaststroke.  Wow!

Massive congratulations to Alyson and Lizzie for all their achievements and we’re excited to see what 2024 brings for them both!

World Aquatics All Time Long Course Top 10 Rankings

65-69yrs Alyson Fordham

• 3^rd 50m Freestyle (30.56, European Record)
• 6^th 100m Freestyle (1:09.16, European Record)
• 9^th 50m Breaststroke (41.65)

World Aquatics All Time Short Course Top 10 Rankings

65-69yrs Alyson Fordham

• 3^rd 50m Freestyle (29.45, European Record) & 100m Freestyle (1:07.07, European Record)
• 5^th 200m Freestyle (2:33.14, European Record), 100m Backstroke (1:18.70 European Record), 200m Backstroke (2:53.87, European Record), 100m IM (1:20.35, European Record)
• 8^th 50m Breaststroke (41.08)

2023 Long Course World Aquatics Top 10 Rankings

45-49yrs Elizabeth Bellinger

• 3^rd 100m Butterfly (1:08.70)
• 6^th 50m Butterfly (30.10)
• 9^th 200m IM (2:42.50)

65-69yrs Alyson Fordham

• 1^st 50m Freestyle (30.56)
• 3^rd 100m Freestyle (1:09.16)
• 4^th 50m Breaststroke (41.65)
• 5^th 200m Freestyle (2:38.23)
• 7^th 50m Backstroke (38.53)

2023 Short Course World Aquatics Top 10 Rankings

45-49yrs Elizabeth Bellinger

• 3^rd 100m Butterfly (1:07.32)
• 6^th 50m Butterfly (30.02) & 200m IM (2:35.88)
• 7^th 400m IM (5:40.17)

65-69yrs Alyson Fordham

• 1^st 50m Freestyle (29.45), 100m Freestyle (1:07.07), 100m Backstroke (1:18.70), 200m Backstroke (2:53.87), 100m IM (1:19.69)
• 4^th 50m Backstroke (37.61)
• 5^th 200m Freestyle (2:35.13), 50m Breaststroke (41.08)
• 7^th 100m Breaststroke (1:33.06)

BSSC Masters swimmers Lizzie Bellinger and Alyson Fordham had outstanding performances at the recent British Masters Championships, bringing home five gold and three silver medals and a new East Region records. 

Lizzie (45-49 yrs), the current age group British record holder, obliterated the field in the 100m Fly winning nearly 14 seconds ahead of her closest rival (1:10.36) and broke the East Region record taking silver in the 200m IM (2:41.73). She also won Gold in the 50m Fly (30.67 seconds).

Alyson Fordham (65-69 yrs), already the age group European Record holder in both the 50 and 100m Freestyle, easily won gold in both events (50m 30.62 & 100m 1:10.51) and added gold in the 100m Backstroke (1:24.15, new East Region record) and silver in both the 50m Backstroke (39.30) and 50m Breaststroke (42.79) to her haul. 

Congratulations to them both on their achievements that continue to inspire our younger swimmers.

Two BSSC Masters recently competed at the 2024 Derbyshire Open Long Course Masters Championships.

Lizzie Bellinger (45/49 Yrs Age Group) had a one-two of amazing swims, swimming a 1:10.40 100m Butterfly and a 2:44.53 200m IM with no more than ten minutes rest between the two, earning herself two golds in the process. 

Assistant head coach Joe Collins (25/29 Yrs Age Group) performed a true “splash & dash” going to swim the 50m Breaststroke and Freestyle, getting Gold in the breaststroke with 34.14 and just missing out on a podium finish in the freestyle, coming in 4^th.

This was a great warm up event for Lizzie who competes this coming weekend in the 50m & 100m Butterfly and 200m IM at the British Masters Championships in Swansea.  She’ll be joined by another BSSC Masters swimmer, Alyson Fordham (65/69 Yrs Age Group), who’ll be swimming 50m & 100m Freestyle, 50m & 100m Backstroke and the 50m Breaststroke.