The Hatfield Platypus Swimming Club held its annual inter-club gala on Sunday 28th April at the Hatfield Swim Centre. The Club, who was recently awarded the One Welwyn Hatfield ‘Community Sports Club of the Year Award’, were pleased to welcome teams from Stevenage Dolphins, Ruislip Turtles and Ealing Swimming Club who competed against two “randomly” chosen teams from Hatfield: Platypus “A” and “B”.
The gala had 14 events, 1, 2 and 3 lengths plus 3 x 1 length relays for juniors, ladies and gentlemen as well as ladies’ and gentlemen’s diving. The competitors showed enthusiasm and a great deal of friendly rivalry. The Mayor of Welwyn Hatfield, Councillor Pankit Shah, attended the gala and was kind enough to help score the diving event.
All races were swum under the traditional handicapping system in which all competitors enter a predicted time. The starts were staggered with the slowest first so that all would, theoretically, finish together. Fairness was ensured by use of a repositioning rule; anyone who exceeded his, or her, predicted time by more than three seconds per length was repositioned – the fastest of these being moved to last place.
Platypus “B” won the competition, following individual wins by Elsie-beau Kiely, Lizi Jones, James Harwood, Cheryl Hastings and James Barton. Platypus “A” was second led by the ladies’ relay team of Abigail McLean, Barbara Barton and Emma Donovan. Platypus “A” also supplied the winners of both diving events: Bex Jones and Paul Hastings. At the end of the gala there were refreshments, followed by the award of gold, silver and bronze medals by the mayor who then presented the Platypus Shield for the winning team to Elsie-beau Kiely.
