BSSC has a vibrant, fun and welcoming Masters squad with swimmers aged 18 to 60+. We have a wide range of abilities with fitness swimmers wanting the incentive of a regular, motivating training programme, competitive triathletes and open water swimmers striving to enhance their swim performance and competitive European and World Masters swimmers. The squad is offered eight coached pool sessions each week across two different local pools. There are different Masters membership price plans based on your chosen attendance hours.
The photos and articles below show the variety of events attended and achievements gained by our Masters squad, from the more social aspects of Swim Serpentine, Marathon Swims and charity galas, to representing Hertfordshire in Intercounty competitions and winning medals and breaking records at National and International competitions.
Golden Time at Swim Wales
BSSC Masters competition regular, Elizabeth Bellinger, pulled out of the Febrary Sudbury Masters event with an injury, but although still in recovery, she managed to compete in the Swim Wales Masters Long Course Championships in Swansea over the St David’s Day weekend.
Lizzie took Gold in all four events she entered, bettering her entry times on three events and improving two of the East Region records she already held. Congratulations!
Gold 200m IM (2:39.04)
Gold 50m Fly (PB, 30.17)
Gold 100m Free (PB, 1:04.50)
Gold 100m Fly (PB, 1:07.15)
Record Breaking Gold Rush for BSSC Masters at Sudbury
On 16th Feb, four fabulous BSSC Masters headed to Sudbury for the 25th Valentines Open Meet. David Kelleway (25-29Yrs), Peter Kelleway (60-64Yrs), Helen Shingler (50-54Yrs) and Sally Winter (60-64Yrs) were all in stunning form, taking gold medals in every event they entered and also getting lots of personal best times. Having recently achieved some European Long Course records in her new age group, Sally Winter bagged a short course European Record at Sudbury, taking nearly 3 seconds off the old 200m Free record!! Congratulations to them all.
Results are below:
David Kelleway (25-29Yrs)
Gold in all 5 events
53.50 100m Free
25.25 50m Free
1:02.64 100m Fly
26.74 50m Fly
2:07.35 200m Free
Pete Kelleway (60-64Yrs)
Gold in all 5 events
33.75 50m Back
1:05.63 100m Free
2:46.13 200m IM
1:15.42 100m Back
1:15.26 100m IM
Helen Shingler (50-54Yrs)
Gold 3:04.81 200m IM
Sally Winter (60-64Yrs)
Gold (European Record!) 2:25.83 200m Free
Winter Smashes British & European Records
Reaching a milestone birthday can sometimes be advantageous, and BSSC Masters swimmer and Club President, Sally Winter recently proved that point. January 1st saw Sally move up into the 60-64 years Masters age group, and at her first 2020 Long Course (50m pool) competition in Crawley on the weekend of 18/19th January she was in record smashing form. First up was the 100m Free where she took Gold in a British Masters record time of 1:08.51, more than a second inside the existing British record and only 0.3 seconds outside the European record. On Sunday she went one better in the 200m Free, smashing the British Masters record by 2.5 seconds and taking the European Masters record by 1 second, in a time of 2:30.78. Focus for this season now turns to the British Nationals in April and the European Masters Championships in June. Good luck Sally!
Masters Inspire at Swim England National Championships
The Swim England Masters National Championships is the highlight of the national Masters short course calendar, with over 1000 competitors fighting it out to be crowned 2019 champions. This year it took place in Sheffield on 25-27 October and five Bishop’s Stortford Swimming Club Masters qualified (though unfortunately Ashley Meerloo and Helen Shingler could not attend).
Lizzie Bellinger has competed in the 50m and 100m butterfly at the National Masters Short Course Championships every year since 2009 and has won a medal on each occasion, the majority of those being gold. This year was no exception! On Day 1 Lizzie stormed to Gold in the 100m butterfly (40-44 Yrs Age Group) in a time of 1:05.7, only 0.4 secs off her own British record time! She then grabbed Bronze in the 400m IM, with a 10 second East Region record. Day 2 saw her continuing her winning ways, taking Gold in 29.54 in the 50m butterfly in another East Region record and Silver in the 200m IM. Lizzie continued her butterfly domination on the final day with Gold in the 200m fly.
Sally Winter’s National campaign started well with a Silver in the 200m freestyle (55-59 Yrs) in a massive seasons best time of 2:24.2. This time is 6 seconds under the 60-64yrs British record, which Sally will be aiming to break come January 2020. Sally, a previous European record holder in the event, will also be aiming to break the current 60-64 years European record time of 2.28 in the new year. Day 2 dawned with another Silver being added to her collection, this time in the 100m freestyle. Her time of 1:06.75 is half a second under the 60-64 age group European record, which Sally will once again be targeting from January 2020. In her final race of the day she came a great 8th in the 50m freestyle.
Former British butterfly record holder Barry Chandler kicked off with a fabulous 5th in the 200m freestyle (60-64 Yrs). Day 2 was a busy day, with 2 races back to back in the morning. He started with a Silver in the 100m freestyle, narrowly missing gold by 0.08 secs, and after catching his breath, got straight back into the pool to come away with a fantastic bronze medal in the 60-64 50m fly, just 0.3 secs off the gold medal winning time! In the afternoon, Barry was on fire winning Gold in the 50m freestyle by nearly a second!
All of our Masters continue to inspire the next generations, but a huge congratulations must go to Lizzie, Sally and Barry for their outstanding performances!
World Class Master Strikes Gold
BSSC Masters star, Lizzie Bellinger, had a golden time at the Swim Wales Masters Long Course (50m) Championships in Swansea on 2-3 March 2019. Swimming in the 40-44 year age group, she kicked off an impressive weekend with the 200m Individual Medley, dominating the field to take Gold and an East Region Long Course record, with her 2nd best ever time of 2:39.17. She outclassed the field twice more with Gold in the 50m Fly (30.22), followed by Gold in the 100m Freestyle, gaining another East Region LC record and 2nd best ever time of 1:04.89!
Day Two saw Lizzie become the fastest woman in the pool in the 100m Butterfly in a time of 1:06.57, over 11 seconds faster than second place in her age category, nearly 4 seconds faster than the winner of the 18-24 year old age group, and just 0.17 seconds off her 2018 British record. Congratulations on a superb weekend of national swimming!
To add to her amazing achievements, the International Swimming Federation (FINA) recently published the 2018 Masters WORLD Top 10 Swimming Rankings, and Lizzie is ranked 2nd in the world for Long Course 100m Fly (40-44 age group) with her British record of 01:06.40 and 5th for 50m & 200m Fly, whilst for Short Course (25m pool) she is 5th for 50m & 100m Fly and 6th for 200m Fly. Outstanding performance!
Focus now turns to the ITU World Multi Sports Championships at the start of May where she will be competing in the Aquathlon (1,000m swim followed by 5km run). Good luck Lizzie!
