CO-organiser of the Lake Hume Open Water Bridge Swim Richard Power has labelled the weekend’s event a great success after about 90 swimmers took to the Lake Hume for the first bridge swim since 2007.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
On Saturday, swimmers raced over a 1.5, three and five-kilometre course before turning up again yesterday for the 10-kilometre relay event.
Power said he’d heard nothing but positive feedback from the competitors who ranged from elite athletes to social swimmers.
“Everyone who participated (on Saturday) and (yesterday), without exception, said they enjoyed it and a lot of them came over to me and emphasised that,” Power said.
“There were a lot of happy and satisfied people and we will be putting the swim on again next year ... we were really happy with how it went.”
Power said there was a good mix of people who competed in Saturday’s individual races and yesterday’s relay swim.
“There was a wide range of swimmers and lot of younger ones who did both days,” he said.
“The biggest field was hands down the 1.5-kilometre swim with about 50 competitors.
“About 18 swimmers did the three-kilometre course and about a dozen did the five-kilometre.”
Kirsty Deacon and James Walsh finished equal first in the 1.5- kilometre race, reaching Bethanga Bridge in 27 minutes and 31 seconds.
In the three-kilometre race Paul Butko led the field home in 59 minutes and 29 seconds and in the five-kilometre race Sharks water polo player Sally Purvis won in one hour and 32 minutes.
First in the 10-kilometre relay went to team Nathan Rogers in a time of two hours and 20 minutes.
Power said the swim would raise almost $2000 for the Albury Border Rescue, the Australian Coastguard and the Bonegilla CFA.
