Star-studded swimming on Coast

It was a star-studded cast across the Central Coast last weekend when three past-and-present Olympic athletes competed in hometown water events.

2024 Olympian Bradley Woodward, who won the 400m, 1km, and 2km ocean swims at the Toowoon Bay Ocean swim, was joined by 1996 Olympian Malcolm Allen who was christening son, Jack, with the 400m event.

Woodward, a former Mingara squad swimmer, has been the Coast’s highest profile swimmer of recent times and was joined by fellow Mingara squad swimmers Tom Simpson, who came home second in all three distances; Stephanie Carey, who was the winner of all three distances for the women; and 13-year-old Stella O’Brien brought home second in the women’s 2km.

There are more Olympians in the making at Mingara with 32 swimmers competing at the recent Coast and Valley Championships in Maitland.

Standout performer was Kye McDermott, who broke two CVSA records, taking four seconds off the 400m freestyle record (held since 2010) and 13 seconds off the 800m freestyle record (held since 2018).

Other Mingara squad gold medallists included Bodi Bone, Archie Wright, Sahara O’Keeffe, Myah Dixon, Brody Becker and Aaliyah Currie.

Mingara coach Oliver Fandrich said he was not surprised with the excellent results as he has watched over the squad since early 2024 and is quietly confident of bringing home some NSW medals from Senior State Swimming Championships, starting on December 6.

He has also been instrumental in developing the surf squad, overseeing the swim program for many of the surf lifesaving competitors who competed at the annual Infront Surf Slam carnival at Avoca Beach on Saturday, November 23, where Olympic kayaker Ella Beere was also seen competing for her home club Avoca Beach.

There was a bit of a wave on at Avoca, and there was a big turn out from both Terrigal (in the opens) and Avoca (in the U15/17/19s).

Some of the weekend’s individual champions included Jodie Mead, Will Josling, Tor Manser, Marli Hoyland, Jacob Falconer, Olivia Edwards, Cashar Darwin, Emily Rose, Bronte Ayres, Zahra Green, Liz Shearer and Bryn Gaha.

The coveted Spike Jones Open mixed taplin went to Terrigal, but there is a hot young field of talent coming through at Avoca Beach under the watchful eye of squad coach and former Australian board champion Trevor Gee.

This weekend, November 30-December 1, the Central Coast Sand Crabs will compete at the NSW Surf Life Saving Interbranch carnival in Forster where the team is hoping to improve on its third place from last year.

The following weekend will see competitors take to the pool at the NSW Senior State swimming championships, and in the surf at the inaugural Swansea Belmont classic including the World Youth Championships on Sunday, December 8.