Chris Dunn came home in a time of 22.47.90, knocking nearly 4 minutes off the British record and 2 minutes off the European record, to win the 80-84 age group.

Also winning their age groups were Jennifer Kelly (40-44) in 23.13.01 and Christine Lutsch (45-49) in 22.50.90. 

Relay World Record

Chris then stayed on for the relay gala in the evening, joining up with Esther Iseppi (back), Amanda Heath (breast) and Clive Benson (fly) to break the world record for the 280+ Mixed Medley relay.

“We knew we had a chance of a World Record” said Amanda, “but after Esther fractured her wrist when we were in Abu Dhabi for the Open Masters Games last month, we thought it might be a tough ask. Almost fully recovered, Esther swam a great 100 backstroke leg and at the half way point we knew the record was within our grasp. Clive and Chris swam fabulous splits and we ended up over a second inside the old record, which was set in 2015 by a team from Tamalpais Masters in USA. Prior to that, Spencer held the record, with Esther (then on fly), Nigel Salsbury, Diane Ford and Geoff Stokes, so it’s nice to get it back again”.

The Team then went on to break Spencer’s European records in the 4x100m free (set last year at the same meet) and 4x50m free (set in Japan in 2023), and also broke the European record in the 4x50m medley held by a Hungarian team.

For their efforts, they were awarded the trophy for the Top Team performance.

Much further north, Suzanne Maidment was racing in Aberdeen, checking out the venue of the GB championships in June. Newly aged up to the 60-64 age group, she had some great swims, winning gold in the 200 breast and silver in the 200 and 400 free.

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We also welcomed Valentyna Foytlova to the Spencer competitive squad for the first time, and what a fantastic performance she put in, delivering three gold medals in the 100m and 50m breaststroke, as well as the 50m freestyle. She also added potency to our relay teams, so it was great to have her as part of the squad.

Early Racing Sets Tone for the Team

The meet got off to a winning start, as both Luca Milana (50-54 yrs – men) and Simon Berrey (55-59 yrs – men) both came home in gold medal positions in the 200m Individual Medley. This was followed in event two by Valentyna’s triumphant 100m breaststroke (25-29 yrs – women) in 1:19.01.

Then came the legion of Spencer swimmers in the mixed 200m freestyle.

• Gold:
  • Leo Murison (30–34 men)
  • Amanda Heath (65–69 women)
• Silver:
  • Karl Simpson (50–54 men)
  • Jennifer Kelley (40–44 women)
• Bronze:
  • Emily Hayter (40–44 women)
  • Matthew Taylor (55–59 men)

The meet had started well, and next up, three Spencer swimmers came charging down the first length of the 200m fly side by side. Robyn Le Friec (35-39 – women), Leo Murison (30-34 – men) and John Fitzpatrick (50-54 – men), all pushing themselves in an unforgiving event. Leo and Robyn collected gold medals, with Robyn producing a new Bracknell Masters Meet Performance in 2:29.07.

Valentyna won gold in the 50m freestyle (29.59), Helen Cumber also won gold (29.20), and Leo Murison kept the trend going with a win for the men (26.01).

More Spencer Swim Team Results

A string of excellent individual performances continued through the afternoon as the masters swimming programme continued:

Backstroke

• Amanda Heath – 100m Backstroke, 1:33.53 (65–69 women) – Gold
• John Fitzgerald – 100m Backstroke, 1:08.19 (50–54 men) – Gold
• Simon Berrey – 200m Backstroke, 2:43.25 (55–59 men) – Gold
• Helen Cumber – 200m Backstroke, 2:38.83 (30–34 women) – Gold
• Amanda Heath – 200m Backstroke, 3:12.95 (65–69 women) – Gold

Additional Backstroke Sprints

• Helen Cumber – 50m Backstroke, 33.34 (30–34 women) – Gold
• Amanda Heath – 50m Backstroke, 43.44 (65–69 women) – Gold
• John Fitzgerald – 50m Backstroke, 31.42 (50–54 men) – Gold

Butterfly

• Robyn Le Friec – 50m Fly, 30.40 (35–39 women) – Gold
• Leo Murison – 50m Fly, 28.29 (30–34 men) – Silver
• Clive Benson – 50m Fly, 30.15 (60–64 men) – Gold
• John Fitzgerald – 100m Fly – 1:07.33 (men 50-54 age) – Gold
• Clive Benson – 100m Fly – 1:09.32 (men 60-64 age) – Gold

Individual Medley

• Leo Murison – 100m IM, 1:03.66 (30–34 men) – Gold

Breaststroke

• Jennifer Kelly – 50m Breaststroke, 43.27 (40–44 women) – Silver
• Amanda Heath – 50m Breaststroke, 43.55 (65–69 women) – Gold
• Luca Milana – 200m Breaststroke, 3:04.22 (50–54 men) – Gold

Freestyle

• Jennifer Kelly – 100m Freestyle, 1:11.42 (40–44 women) – Silver
• Amanda Heath – 100m Freestyle, 1:18.32 (65–69 women) – Gold
• Clive Benson – 100m Freestyle, 1:04.53 (60–64 men) – Silver

Some excellent results for individual performances but also some fantastic swims that perhaps fell outside the medal places but were . However, the Spencer team loves a relay, and it was here that the team spirit really came alive. The team scooped gold in the 4x50m freestyle (120+) and the 4x50m butterfly (160+). We also came in a close 4^th place on a couple of the other relay events for the 200+ team.

A Successful Day for Spencer Swim Team

An impressive collection of medals, season’s bests, and even a meet record reflects what a strong day this was for the Spencer Masters squad. With excellent team spirit and enthusiastic participation across all age groups, the Bracknell Open Masters Meet showcased the best of masters swimming and was a resounding success.

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In the 65-69 category, Amanda Heath won golds in the 400 free, 50m, 100m & 200m breast and silver in the 400m IM.

Guy Emerson 60-64

50 back Gold 34.83

100 back Gold 1.19.18

Suzanne Maidment 60-64

100 free Silver 1.15.32

200 free Gold 2.45.67

400 free Silver 5.53.83 

100 breast Silver 1.39.12

200 breast Silver 3.37.29

Amanda Heath 65-69

50 breast Gold 43.22

100 breast Gold 1.33.12

200 breast Gold 3.19.17

400 free Gold 5.58.55

400 IM Silver 6.43.72

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The event kicked off with the Open Water Swimming, on Hudayirat Island, with perfect conditions and a water temperature of 21 degrees. Michael Read and Jamie McKay were competing in the 5k and won gold and silver respectively, while Tony Cherrington and Alan Parkins both won gold in the 2.5k and Amanda Heath took silver in the 1.5k.

On to the pool events, where everyone medalled in all their events, with some great swims.

Individual Race Results

Michael Read – 85+ age group

GOLD 5k, 400m, 800m free and 200m & 400m IM, SILVER 100m, 200m free

Tony Cherrington – 80+ age group

GOLD 2.5K 50m, 100m, 200m 400m free

Alan Parkins – 65+ age group

GOLD 2.5k, 50m, 100m back, 100m fly, SILVER 800m free, 200m back

Jamie McKay – 40+ age group

SILVER 5k

Ivan Nechunaev – 35+ age group

GOLD 50m free (lifetime best of 24.16), 50m fly, SILVER 100m free, 100m fly

Amanda Heath – 65+ age group

GOLD 200m breaststroke, 400m IM, SILVER 1.5k, 50m, 100m breaststroke, 200m IM

Esther Iseppi – 65+ age group

SILVER 100m fly, 200m breast

This was an amazing achievement for Esther, as she slipped and fell the evening before the pool events, badly injuring her wrist. 3 days later, she was able to race tentatively, starting in the water and having to work hard to catch the rest of the field. Sadly, she had to miss her other events.

The event presentation was extremely professional, with competitors announced individually as they walked out from the call room, and the medal presentations were highly choreographed.

Media Coverage

The media were keen to record stories from competitors, with Spencer swimmers featuring in some of the videos shared during the event and on social media. Check out some of the videos below by clicking the links.

Spencer Swimmer’s Stories (video)

Michael’s story

Esther’s story

Esther and Amanda’s story

The Masters Games are quite different from other International Masters swimming events, encouraging athletes of all abilities from around the world to unite in competition and friendship. The medals were truly stunning and the message on the medal box inspirational: “Wellness is the real victory”.

Read more about International Masters Games Events here:

https://www.imga.ch

Athletes are encouraged to participate in, watch and support other sports and one of the highlights was a trip to the camel race track (to spectate, not race!)

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For some, it was a chance to make their mark in their new age group, for others, it was a chance to dust off the cobwebs and make a line in the sand for the rest of the year, and for most, it was a chance to catch up with teammates and have some fun racing.

Firmly in the first category was Chris Dunn, who has aged up to the 80-84 age group – he certainly made his mark on the record books with World Records in the 200m and 400m freestyle, a European Record in the 800m freestyle (knocking nearly a minute off the old record, and narrowly missing the WR), plus British records in the 50m & 100m freestyle and 100 & 200 backstroke. In total, he won an amazing 9 gold medals! Chris’s results are as follows: 

Chris Dunn (80/84)

200m freestyle 2:38.32 – Gold, British, European & World record

100m freestyle 1:13.89 – Gold, British record

100m backstroke 1:29.19 – Gold, British record

50m freestyle 32.25 – Gold, British record

400m freestyle 5:42.79 – Gold, British, European & World record

800m freestyle 11:55.54 – Gold, British & European record

200m backstroke 3:11.53 – Gold, British record

50m butterfly 48.15 – Gold

50m breaststroke 50.58 – Gold

This inspiring performance by Chris pushed other Spencer swimmers to deliver the goods, too.

Jess Campbell made a speedy appearance on Saturday morning to sweep up a gold medal and Scottish record in the 55-59 women’s 800m freestyle in a time of 11.14.88.

Esther and Amanda were up to their usual tricks, entering the same events, and taking 1-2 in the 50m, 100m & 200m breast and 400m IM, with Amanda taking an additional gold in the 200m IM.

More Spencer 1-2’s came from Matthew Taylor and Simon Berrey in the 55-59 men’s 50m back and Robyn Le Friec and Katarina Read in the 35-39 women’s 50m fly. Matthew also took bronze in the 800m free and 4th place in the 200m, while Simon won the 200m back, adding silver in the 100m back and 4th place in the 100m free. Robyn made it a double gold with a win in the 100m fly and Kati won the 200m IM.

More Spencer medals came from Helen Cumber, who won gold in the 30-34 women’s 100m back, and silvers in the 50m and 100m free. It was silvers all round for Suzanne Maidment, who came 2nd in the 200m & 800m free, and 200m breast. Jen Kelly won silver in the 400m free and was 7th in the 50m free, while Luca Milana brought home bronze in the 200m IM.

Simon summed up the weekend “Aside from the record breakers, there were some mere mortals racing at Crawley this weekend, me included… Times not important, but I still managed a gold and 2 silvers. However, being an out of towner, the best of all was catching up with people I only see at meets like this.”

Full Results and times are in the following link:

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As a masters swimmer, that mindset is vital. Winning is always nice. Achieving PBs or setting records is a great reward. However, for most masters swimmers, success is better measured by consistency, health, enjoyment, and gradual improvement. Training in a balanced and methodical way, taking everything from every practice, is an extraordinary benefit of returning to competition.

Many masters swimmers competed as age-groupers or at university and return with a mix of positive memories, unfinished business, and occasional apprehension. But masters competitions are different. The vibe is far more relaxed and community-oriented. And while your teammates will root for you from poolside, the emphasis is on participation and self-challenge rather than comparison. You’ll only ever hear positive support.

The Practical Side of Competitive Swimming

To get back to competing, you’ll need to join a Masters club affiliated with your national governing body (e.g. Swim England). Clubs provide coached sessions, technique advice, and, most importantly, a community of swimmers who understand the challenges of masters swimming and can advise on the best meets and races to target.

You need to register with your national swimming federation, Swim England, as a Masters Category 2 member. The club typically handles this and can assist you. Once registered, you’ll have a membership or ID number, which allows you to enter licensed events. Clubs are usually the primary source of guidance on competitions and entry procedures.

Target Progress not Perfection

Many masters swimmers turn up at competitions after extensive breaks from racing – often after decades away. As a result, swimmers are far from the finished article, and that is entirely normal. Most competitors jump in and give it a go. Don’t judge yourself against the younger you.

Training for competition should be approached with patience. Many returning swimmers remember how they trained in their twenties and are tempted to jump straight back into high volumes or intense sets. This often leads to fatigue, injury, or loss of motivation. A more effective approach is to focus first on consistency and technique. Swimming two or three times per week, with a focus on efficiency, aerobic fitness, strength, and basic skills, will lay the foundation for speed later on. Improvements in stroke mechanics often deliver bigger gains than simply swimming more lengths, particularly as we get older.

Be Selective and Patient

When choosing your first competition, it pays to keep things simple. Speak to your fellow swimmers or coaches for some friendly advice. Local or regional Masters meets are ideal starting points – your club can advise. You do not always need recent race times to enter; many events accept estimated entry times, and heats are commonly seeded to allow swimmers of similar ability to race together. Once you have banked a few times, you can enter swim meets with more stringent entry criteria.

Selecting a small number of races that you enjoy and feel comfortable swimming in allows you to focus on the experience rather than the outcome. For many swimmers, the first meet back serves as a useful benchmark rather than a performance target and helps identify which events suit you best at this stage. Chances are, you’ll climb out of the water totally exhilarated and impatient to swim again.

Enjoy the process

Keep expectations realistic and flexible. Identifying the right races for your current abilities takes time, as does relearning race pacing and skills such as starts and turns. You’re on a new swimming journey, and what you swam as a younger person may not carry over to masters competitions. For some swimmers, podium finishes may be realistic. For many others, the early goals should centre on enjoyment, confidence, and producing performances you feel proud of. Progress accelerates once consistency is established.

The truth is, unless you try, you’ll never know. And that is the spirit of masters swimming. One further key piece of advice: bring good snacks.

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Spencer was represented by Ivan Nechunaev, who had a great meet, picking up 2 silvers and 2 bronzes in the 35-39 age group. The silvers came in the 100 IM in 57.45 and the 100 freestyle in 51.77, where a fabulous last 25 brought him within a quarter of a second of the gold. A time of 55.85 won 3rd place and a bronze medal in the 100 fly. The 50 sprints were hotly contested in all age groups, and Ivan’s second bronze came in the 50 free in a time of 23.34, just 0.12 behind the winner. He also took 6th place in the 50 fly in 25.31.

Alan Parkins, swimming for his home club, Crawley, won silver in the 65-69 100 back in a time of 1.14.55, and took 4th places in the 50 back, 50 fly and 50 free.

The next European Championships will be Long Course, 21-30 Aug 2026 in Šamorín, Slovakia, where there will also be Open Water events, to be swum  in a backwater of the Danube. The short course championships will return in 2027.

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Choosing one, however, can be a bit of a minefield. Here’s a few tips on how to find the right tech or race suit that suits your goals, body, and swimming style.

1. Be Clear About Why You’re Buying It

Masters swimmers race for many reasons — personal bests, podiums, qualifying times, team points, or simply the fun of competition. The frequency of your racing and the seriousness of your goals should guide your choice of race suit.

If you race a few times a year, one reliable, mid-range tech suit might be all you need. If you’re training and competing regularly at national or international masters meets, investing in a high-performance model could be worthwhile.

If you expect to be in medal contention and every tenth of a second counts, then the right tech suit might be what you need.

2. Fit Is Everything — But Comfort Matters Too

Tech suits are designed to be tight, sometimes very tight! However, there’s a fine balance between performance compression and comfort. As adults, we value a suit that feels supportive without cutting off circulation or requiring a 20 or 30-minute struggle to get on.

Look for a fit that:

• Offers firm compression but allows you to breathe normally.
• Feels snug around hips and thighs without digging in too much.
• For women, it gives full shoulder and hip mobility for your stroke.

If you’re between sizes, many masters swimmers prefer going up one size from what an elite junior might wear — the difference in performance is minimal, but the comfort and confidence are much higher. *It is worth getting guidance on sizing, because the sizing is different for a tech suit than your usual swimsuit.

3. Match the Suit to Your Stroke and Events

Not all suits are created equal. Some are built for explosive power; others for flexibility and comfort.

• Sprinters (50–100m events) often benefit from high-compression suits that provide muscle support and stability off the blocks and walls.
• Middle- and long-distance swimmers (200m+) might prefer a lighter, more flexible suit that allows more freedom of movement and sustained comfort.
• IM or breaststroke specialists should look for flexibility around hips and thighs to accommodate varied kick movement.

4. Don’t Be Fooled by the Hype

Arena, Speedo, TYR, Mizuno, Jaked — every brand has its loyal fans. But the best suit for you depends on your build and how you swim, not what the pros wear.

Masters swimmers come in all shapes and sizes, and different brands fit differently. Try before you buy if possible, and don’t be afraid to mix it up — many seasoned swimmers switch brands once they find a cut that fits their body comfortably and performs well.

Here is a website that offers advice on the best brands and models for your needs: https://www.theswimsuitguy.co.uk/which-tech-suit-should-i-buy

5. Consider Longevity and Value

Let’s face it — tech suits are expensive. In the UK, top-tier models can easily cost £300–£450, and they don’t last forever. Their compression and water-repellent coatings fade with use.

As a rule of thumb:

• Expect about 5–10 meets of peak performance.
• Rinse gently in cold water after racing.
• Air dry (never wring or tumble dry).
• Store flat, not folded or scrunched.

If you’re not racing every month, a mid-range suit may actually be a smarter investment — less expensive, longer-lasting, and still fast.

6. Prioritise Ease and Confidence

Masters swimming is as much about enjoyment as performance. Choose a suit that makes you feel fast, supported, and confident. If you’re comfortable in your suit, you’ll warm up and race better.

Remember: your suit should help you focus on your swim, not distract you from it.

7. Plan Ahead for Race Day

Don’t save your first wear for the championship final. Test your suit in training once or twice before your main event — just enough to know how it feels off the blocks and through turns. That way, you can avoid surprises on race day.

And give yourself plenty of time before your race to get it on. Tech suits take patience, especially if they’re dry!

In Summary

Buying a tech suit as a masters swimmer is about balancing performance with practicality. You want compression and hydrodynamics, but also comfort, durability, and confidence.

A great race suit won’t do the swimming for you, but it will help you feel sleek, supported, and ready to swim fast. Choose wisely, take care of it, and enjoy the feeling of being a pro!

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It was the backstroke events which brought in the most medals, with John winning gold in the 100m back and bronze in the 50m in the 50-54 age group. John also swam in the 50m and 100m fly: “I was really pleased with all my races, and they were all PBs since I started back swimming again. It has really helped me train with Spencer over the past few months, and it has been nice to be able to swim some 100m races again”, he said.

Godfrey (70-74) won silver in the 100m back and bronze in the 50m, in season’s best times. Still on backstroke, there were bronzes for Guy (60-64) in the 50m with a 32.64, his fastest time for 6 years, and Matthew (55-59) in the 200m. Alan won the 65-69 50m gold in a lifetime best of 33.27 and also took silver in the 50m and 100 fly.

In the 80-84 age group, Tony won silver in the 50m free, while Michael medalled in 6 of his 7 events, with silver in the 400m & 800m free, 200m & 400m IM and bronze in the 1500m free and 50m fly.

The girls won 2 golds each, with Robyn (35-39) winning the 100m and 200m fly, and taking bronze in the 50m, and Amanda (65-69) winning the 100m breast and 200m IM, with a silver in the 800m free. Amanda said “I normally have a full programme of 8 individuals and a few relays, but this year I experimented with just 3 events and swam on the Sunday only. It definitely worked for the 100m breast, as it was a season’s best by 2.5 seconds. I think the 800m directly afterwards was an event too many though!”.

Robyn, Alan and Tony also won multiple relay medals for their respective teams.

This major event in the Masters Calendar saw Trafford Metro win the Otter trophy for Top Team for the 4th consecutive year, and many World, European and British records broken.

The full results can be found here

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The outdoor 8-lane 50m competition pool (with a smaller warm-up/swim-down pool) is right on the beach in Limassol, with 3 and 4-star hotels a few minutes walk away. Equidistant from Larnaca and Paphos airports, where there are frequent flights from all over the U.K., it’s the ideal location to combine pool racing with sea swimming, relaxation and autumn sunshine.

The Meet attracts competitors from all over Europe and beyond – this year there were teams from Malta, Slovakia, Serbia, Hungary, Germany, Poland, Bulgaria, Egypt, Israel, Greece, Germany, Ireland to name a few, with flags from all the nationalities decorating the poolside.

Our motley crew of 65-69ers came from far and wide to compete for Spencer. Esther (Guernsey) and Amanda love racing each other, so they chose the same events, achieving 1-2 in the 50m, 100m and 200m breast, 200m and 400m IM and 200m back. Fran (Cornwall) joined them in the 400m IM and 200m back to make it a Spencer 1-2-3. She went on to win the 800m and 1500m free. Adopted Spencerite, Lisa, from the US won the 400m free, came 2nd in the 100m, 3rd in the 50m and 4th in the 50m breast.
Alan was undefeated in his events, the 100m, 200m and 800m free, and 50m back and fly.
The ladies also won the 240+ 4×50 freestyle relay.

A great time was had by all, with everyone winning medals. It was a very relaxed and friendly meet, with breaks for presentations and plenty of time to meet new friends. So maybe forget the hassle and stress of entering Sheffield next year and head to Cyprus instead, especially if you love racing outdoors, or have never experienced it before. Dates for next year are 17th-18th October 2026, and chat to Amanda, Esther, Fran or Alan if you’d like to hear more about it.

Full results are here

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