FINA recently published their Top Ten Masters swims for 2022
Here are Lindsey and Kath’s achievements:
Lindsey Gowland
50 free SC 5th LC 6th
100 free SC 6th LC 9th
50 breast SC 10th
50 fly SC 6th* LC 4th*
*British and European records
Kath Tunnicliffe
50 free SC 7th LC 9th
100 free LC 6th
400 free SC 6th
1500 free SC 3rd
50 back SC 3rd LC 5th
100 back LC 4th
200 back 4th*
100 IM 200IM 400IM SC all 9th
*British record
Sadie Turner put Black Country n Potteries Masters centre stage when she blasted the women’s skins invitation event at Etwall’s 2022 meet. She repeated a series of wins to navigate the rounds and land the trophy, exhausted but triumphant! She also added three more individual victories and was part of a winning club record-breaking quartet in the 120+ Mixed Freestyle along with Richard H, Justine and Ben.
Not to be outdone Lindsey Gowland came away form the Derbyshire event with seven individual wins and a glorious six new meet records, and helped Kath, Martyn and Lionel to a win the 240+ Medley Relay.
Other bright sparks were Ben and Kath they won all three of their individual races, Kath set new meet records in her events, Lionel and Richard H chalked up two individual wins apiece. Justine gained an impressive win in her 100 breast and alongside Diane added valued points to the women’s national decathlon team event. Martyn was part of a club record breaking 160+ Mens Medley Relay squad alongside Richard H, Ben, and Lionel.
Five Black Country n Potteries produced record breaking, medal winning and personal best performances at Sheffield in the 2022 National Short Course championships.
Lindsey Gowland took gold in the 65+ 50m fly, with a time to equal to the European record and beat her own British record. This outstanding swim was accompanied by Silver medals in the 50 breast, 50 free and 100 free.
Barbara Boxall gained a trio of Bronze medals in the 65+ 50, 200 and 400 m freestyle with a 4th place in the 100m free.
Justine Doody produced a set of magnificent swims in the 100 and 200 IM’s, 50 and 100 Breast with a wonderful Bronze in the 50 yr+ 200 Breast.
Diane Asbury showed good form with a seasons best performance in her 1500m to underpin channel swim preparations for next year.
Although Richard Hinsley was forced to cut short his Sheffield experience he produced a good swim in his 200 m freestyle event.
After a two and a half year break BCPM were finally able to compete in a (much condensed) Midlands Masters in Coventry. Eight swimmers represented the club.Â
Here’s a rundown:
Congratulations on a fine set of results from team BCPM!
Now for a bit of self indulgence – my ‘moments of the meet’ by Kath Tunnicliffe:
First, the 27.83 produced by ‘newbie’ Sadie Turner in the 50 Free. Her start was amazing and took half a metre from the opposition. I never thought we’d see a club member swim that fast this season – Woweee!
Second, and equally as ‘stunning’, the 28.41 from Ben Roberts in his 50 backstroke (his other swims were just as impressive). It’s wonderful to have these two ‘sparks’ in the club and ‘just hoping’ it is the beginning of a new era for BCPM and helps bring in more new members from the younger age groups. Also I think Ben and Sadie would have done some real damage at the Nationals this year had they entered. However,  I hear they are now going to start a bit of training!!!!!!!!!
Third nomination is for the 240 plus freestyle relay team which came up against the likes of Kenilworth and Camp hill. A tried and tested format: Kath Richard Martyn and Lindsey prevailed.
Next competition is the National’s in three weeks, Inter Counties 13th Nov then Etwall 26th November.
With the start of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games on the horizon, here’s a round up of the involvement of Black Country n Potteries Masters club members.
Justine Doody was able to keep teammates up to date with the development of the new 50 m pool during the building phase. The company she works for built it! She got to trial the water quality way before any one else. She’ll be a volunteer in the pool area as a ‘Host’ to sponsors and corporate hospitality.Â
Lionel Spittle will be running a leg of the Queen’s Baton relay in Wolverhampton on Sunday 24th July. This is in recognition of his magnificent fund raising achievements for The Brain Tumour Charity.
Another five BCPM members join Justine as volunteers in the aquatic centre to assist in the swimming and diving competitions. Jennifer Powell will be in field of play, Sharon Evans, a protocol team member, Club Chair, Caroline Jones, a host for Fina personnel, Diane Asbury and Kath Tunnicliffe will work in the athletes areas.
As volunteers they’ll help make Brum ’22 a truly memorable Commonwealth Games and put Birmingham on the global map. They are also excited about it’s reopening in 2023 (once adapted), as 50 metre pools are quite a rarity in the West Midlands. Could it’s location in the centre of the country make it an obvious choice for future national and international masters competitions?
Lindsey Gowland does it again – another British Record for 2022!
At the Stockport meet this evening she lowered her own 50 fly record with a time of 36.25.
Swim England Chair Jim Wilks presented Lindsey with the female swimmer of the meet trophy in recognition of her fabulous swim.
One of our own!
Huge congratulations to Lionel Spittle, one of the Batonbearers for the Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton Relay.
Lionel has raised £7,000 for The Brain Tumour Charity in memory of his beloved wife Linda. To commemorate five years of losing her to a tumour, and to mark his 65th birthday, Lionel undertook his remarkable 65 Challenge.
This saw him swim 65 lengths of WV Active Central Baths pool, where he also works as a lifeguard, cycle 65 miles, then run 65 laps of Aldersley Stadium to raise money for the charity.
But the fundraising doesn’t stop there. Next year, to mark his 70th birthday and 10 years since losing Linda, Lionel will be facing a Relay Channel Challenge with friends (and other club members) to swim the English Channel. The feat will again raise money for The Brain Tumour Charity along with Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
You can cheer on Lionel and many other Batonbearers as the Queen’s Baton Relay hits the streets of Wolverhampton on Sunday July 24.
Lindsey Gowland, Jacqui Mann and Kath Tunnicliffe all competed at the British Masters Long Course Championships in Aberdeen at the weekend weekend.
Kath took on the 100 Back on day one, with all three swimmers looking to sprint the 50m pool in the shortest freestyle event this evening.
Kath took the backstroke win in a time of 1:34.33, almost two seconds ahead of the silver medal swim. The ladies were on fire in the 50 Free too; Jacqui took 5th in the 50–55yr age group in 31.06 seconds. Lindsey took second place in 32.19 seconds (a time under the previous British Record) in the 65–69yr age group. Kath stormed to Gold in a time of 35.20 in the 70–75yr category.
Thoughts of challenging the British record in the Women’s 240+ Freestyle and Medley relays have had to be ‘put on hold’ because our fourth member – Barbara Boxall – is back at home recovering from a couple of fractures in her arm! All the best to Barbara and the rest of the squad!
Day two saw a very special swim from Lindsey as she took a new European Record in the 50 Fly. Her swim took over two seconds off the previous British Record.
Jacqui took to the pool for the 50 Back and 50 Fly, achieving 6th and 4th place respectively for her swims. Kath had a clean sweep of 1st place finishes for her day two races: 100 Free, 50 Back and 200 Back. And Lindsey took 2nd in the 100 Free, setting a fantastic if short-lived British Record!
Black Country n Potteries Masters pulled out all the stops at the popular Staffs Masters meet at Stafford on April 23rd. With three relative newcomers, Steve, Lionel and Clive, and a host of members still working their way back after lockdown, the eleven strong team made their presence known!
The highlight has to be Lindsey Gowland’s British record breaking 50m Butterfly swim. She sliced 0.16 seconds from ex GB Olympian Judy Wilsons 12-year-old record. This is her second British record of the year and watch out folks … as there’s more to come!
The team performed well on all fronts with individual club members chalking up 14 County Records (Clive 3, Lionel 1, Justine 3, Richard Woodall 1, Kath 5, Lindsey 1) plus a total of 18 wins, 12 second places and 8 thirds.Â
The six relay squads produced five wins and one second place. The Womens 240 year plus created new club records in both the Medley (Kath Tunnicliffe, Justine Doody, Lindsey Gowland, Claire Porter) and Freestyle events (Diane Asbury, Claire Porter, Lindsey Gowland, Kath Tunnicliffe) with the Mens 200 plus freestyle team (Richard Hinsley, Martyn Finney, Steve Moss and Clive Keay) beating the previous best mark with a time of 2:07.08.
Next meet: Shropshire Masters on 14th May
Future events see: https://blackcountrynpotteries.co.uk/events-calendar/
The BCPM men’s squad of took both victories in the Men’s 200+ freestyle and medley relays at Hucknall (20th March) Tony, Martyn, Richard H and new member Steve Moss set a club record in the freestyle relay in 2.05.56.Â
Lindsey chalked up 4 wins, Kath 3, Tony 2 and Martyn 1. Tony swam a creditable 30.16 in his individual 50 free. That’s some swim as he openly admits he’s not doing ‘any real training’ at the moment…. Hope for us all!
Along the way Martyn collected a 2nd/3rd place, Steve a 2nd and Richard a 2nd
Good job team BCPM!
Black Country n Potteries Masters Swimming Club 