Last day
Dear diary, I woke up dreaming I won a silver medal at the world championships, not that there was a sliver of a chance for gold this time. The next world championships will be in in Tallinn. Moscow. Bye bye.
DAY WHATEVER, JAMES TO THE DIARY ROOM
Hello from behind the ‘Ron Curtain where the temperature is now minus 84. One birthday was celebrated here with traditional Russian fanfare by walking past a cherry blossom enterprise, some fine dining, and then John tried to persuade me to join in as shown in the photos with the local synchronised swimming team, where it seems that the lead elevated swimmer had already put Movember plans in place. As the Scots say, I’ve Pooh Tin a few merchandising photos in a clandestin way. One last swim for us and it's not quite 500m, just 450metres today. Hoping for more great support from JCR and the Luckhursts.
Day Two:
Greetings from your Special Corricepondent here in Siberian Russia, the home of the Babushka dolls, you know where when you open one wooden figure to find another smaller wooden figure inside the next one. And last night I spent time with my teammates from the Serpentine SC. In the past I’d just got used to one Luckhurst in John, when next came Alan, and then the smallest figure William jumped out to win the 25m bronze medal here at the Winter World Swimming Championships. I can be a bit dyslexic at times, but I’m sure William is a young tsar in the making.
Of course, everyone here was talking of tennis and whether it’s all Sugarpova for Maria who has endured taking heart medication for her weak heart for the last ten years. Here, the snow lies, lies, lies, sugar-coated all ova the place. Yes, in a heartfelt way, I’m sure it’s ova.
The other day, I sent a picture which some of you might have thought was a little bit Volga and I hope it didn’t make anyone too Bolshoi with the sight. I’m still waiting for an answer to the visual pun, ohh how I ‘ate puns. We have met nice people including our taxi driver who was was a bit slow, so I said to Rudolf, now rev the engine and take us to a restaurant. If any of you want to write to me, you contact me Kirov of the hotel, but please don’t send me a ballet in the post.
There are many options for food here; and yesterday evening we wanted a bit of soup and hot food. I discovered a Vietnamese restaurant and had a lovely dish called So Viet Onion. For the main course, we had some fish with a little bit of tatar sauce. I’ve put all my best bits on tripe advisor.
We have also met some very bright people including a Russian astronaut who had just returned from the space station and he made us feel welcome although we were Mir mortals.
The money is lasting well and we are not running into any t’rouble. I hope I’m not prattling or rattling on too much or as they say here, Lada, Lada, Lada. Well like the most famous of Russian swimmers it’s time for me to Popov and have a swim.
Ps A quick update on how the competition is going. William swam in the 25 m and 50 m breastroke today, 50 m accidentally. He finished 4th in the 25 m in a time of 21.12 and got a bronze medal in the 50m breastroke, again in his age group, in a time of 46.26. Alan managed to finished 12th in the 25 m breastroke, in a very difficult age group, in a time of 19.20 with an age range of swimmers from 20 to 30 years old.
Next letter will be a bit about the other competitors.
DAY ONE
The Winter Swimming World Championships start today in Tyumen, Russia, writes James Norton who along with the Luckhurst boys and John Coningham Rolls are representing Serpentine SC.
Both the Luckhursts, Alan, William and John will race today, while I wont be Russian so much, as I start on Thursday (my birthday!) with 50m against both John Luckhurst and JCR and some other toughskis, moving up to 200m on Friday. Having thawed about it, I have signed up for the 450m endurance test on Saturday, to come all this way and not try this race would melt a few hearts…
Anyway the temperature, if we can believe the readings of the man with the thermomemeter, is only a few degrees below zero and not the Arctic ordeal we were promised, and not that more below zero would be Robin us of our fun.
OK, time for a cup of tea made Russian style, as to carry on would be to write more of the samovar, samovar again.
[James Norton]
