The Serpentine Cygnets handicap Under 18 years race, over 110 yards (or 100m for those born after 1973) held on Saturday had a very exciting finale. All the competitors swam brilliantly and without an armband of cygnet ring in sight.
To qualify for the big race, which was watched by a large crowd, many Cygnets had swam the 110 yard distance during the summer, and were awarded a precious handicap time, as this was needed to enter the race for the silver trophy.
On race day, the Serpentine Cygnets ranged from the very young, to teenagers with some incredible experience like Lily Ouldcott and Felicity Challinor and also Gemma Cselko, Phoebe Cselko and Maia Galberg who have the significant achievement of swimming the English Channel in a relay swim.
Tensions were high before the start, and some parents were on the boards to give their kids some last minute love and encouragement before the start.
One by one, they raced off with excellent diving being displayed by the courageous Cygnets. At halfway, elderly swans and a few ducks on the bank recognised the Cygnets' battle with the long distance. By 55 yards, they had swam hard, and swam well, but the late starters were catching the first off.
The handicapper's times had guaranteed a tight finish. Danny Mavra had an excellently paced race, and moved from third to first place. But the standards were very very high, and what could he do against Felicity Challinor, a young swimmer who has already swam a relay swim of the English Channel? He gave it everything, and had great swimming tactics, but with barely a stroke between them, the experienced Felicity seemed to have the speed of a Nimbus 2000, as she squeezed victory to claim the Cygnets trophy.
What was very clear, is that all these swimmers swam to a very high standard, and they will only get better as they get older.
Mike Olizar, the Club Historian, reported that in 1939, two swimmers had introduced a club youths section but the cygnets section only lasted for about seven years. This year in 2016, it seems that we have a lot more cygnets and what a great group of swimmers they all are.
Some of the Cygnets who raced and deserve our congratulations include (if names have been left off, please let me know):
Felicity Challinor
Danny Mavra
Harlan Marr-Johnson
Gemma Cselko
Lily Ouldcott
William Luckhurst
Phoebe Cselko
Maia Galberg
Iris Latham Guyot
Celeste Marr-Johnson
Zula Wynn
Elsa Dean
Milo Askins
Thanks to Fiona, Jeremy and Mike for photos.
[John Tierney]
