Share your love of swimming - Get info on training to become a swim teacher from just £79

Bell completes double with 3km Masters gold

The 2016 National Masters Open Water Championships came to a close with Kimberley Bell taking her second title of the competition in the 3km race.

The Manchester Tri swimmer was the second fastest woman to complete the course, touching in 40:11 to claim gold in the 25-29yrs age group, a full three minutes ahead of silver.

She commented on her performance, “It feels great to get a gold medal. I’ve had a while off swimming and been concentrating on triathlon. It’s great to come back and do some open water.

“I really enjoyed open water when I was younger. These events have got so much better and so much more competitive that it is so great to come back to it. I think it hurt a bit with the 3km and doing the 1.5km, but it was great to do both.”

Pip Bennett clinches gold in 3km

London Otter’s Pip Bennett claimed the 3km title in the 35-39yrs age group. He was almost neck and neck with City of Milton Keynes’ Peter Gleed as they came in to the finish line.

Bennett just managed to clinch the gold, finishing with a 10 second lead on 38:45. After receiving his medal he said: “It was great fun, it’s been very hot today. Some people prefer it that way, but I prefer it to be a bit colder. I did the Christmas day race at Swim Serpentine, so the colder the better really!”

Keith Godbehere of Rotherham Metro made it a double in the 80-84yrs age group, finishing the 3km in a time of 1:13:15, and Roberto Pavoni of Loughborough also won his second title of the competition in the 25-29yrs age group, despite a slightly slow start. He finished with a time of 36:37, the fastest overall time once again.

Other 3km Masters race gold medallists

  • Thomas Roberts – Halton
  • Rachel Sullivan – Daventry
  • Aaron Yeoman – Scarborough
  • Emma Willis – York
  • Jessica Wooddise – Stroud Masters
  • Steven Proud – Newcastle
  • David Warren – Otter
  • Lindsay Turnbull – Newcastle
  • Sean Kinsey – Stroud Masters
  • Jennifer Howard – Barnes SC
  • Timothy Kendall – Otter
  • Andrew Huckle – Wycombe District
  • Valerie Thorp – City of Derby
  • Graham Padgett – Warrington
  • Valerie McLaren – Crawley
  • Tony Cherrington – Gloucester
  • Michael Read – Brighton
  • Jenny Ball – Camphill
Top