2022 Ocean Air Short Course Classic in Geraldton opportunity for swimmers to post competitive times

The 2022 Ocean Air Short Course Classic saw 125 swimmers converge on the Geraldton Aquarena over the long weekend, with 15 visiting clubs joining Geraldton Amateur Swimming Club for the meet.

The annual meet is a regular drawcard for bigger Perth clubs looking to post competitive times ahead of significant meets over the winter short course season.

Breakers and St Hilda’s swim clubs brought 28 and 21 swimmers each, with significant numbers of national qualifying swimmers also attending the event.

Talara-Jane Dixon, 25, a breaststroke specialist currently looking to travel on the Australian team to the US Nationals in July, was a standout in the women’s program swimming 50 m breaststroke in 31.53 seconds.

GASC fielded 32 swimmers at the event, which as a home meet, provides a great opportunity for the club’s younger and newest swimmers to gain competition practice on home turf and to draw inspiration from some of the State’s top swimming talent in action.

Coming on the back of a successful summer season, which saw GASC retain its ‘A’ Grading at the 2022 WA Country Pennants event in Carnarvon, the home side looks to be in great shape under the coaching of Mary Lynas and Claire Macpherson.

GASC swimmers delivered 88 personal best times from 188 race entries at the meet and a number of swimmers qualified for the upcoming WA Hancock Prospecting Short Course Championships in August.

Club president Marijke Travasso said the event had been a great success and the club was thrilled with the strong participation and performance of its swimmers.

“Staging a successful sporting event like the Geraldton Short Course Classic takes a fair bit of planning and community support,” she said.

“The GASC Committee is extremely grateful for the support we receive from Swimming WA, the amazing SWA officials, the City of Greater Geraldton Aquarena, numerous corporate sponsors, committee members, parents, volunteers and the numerous clubs and swimming families that come to Geraldton to support our event.”