Swimmers out to make a splash in Super Series

BENDIGO swimmers will go head-to-head with the state’s best when the Fosterville Gold Swimming Super Series dives into action later this month.

The first of three series events will run at Gurri Wanyarra Wellbeing Centre in Kangaroo Flat on 25 May.

It will be followed by the second and third legs on 22 June and 25 July.

About 500 swimmers are expected to compete each day, including plenty of Victoria’s top talent.

Run by Swimming Bendigo – a progressive collaboration between the Bendigo East, Bendigo Hawks and Kangaroo Flat swimming clubs – this year’s second instalment of the super series shapes as extra-intriguing, with Bendigo due to host the Victorian Short Course Country Championships in August this year.

“It’s the first time Bendigo has got to host those championships,” said Adam Webb, of Swimming Bendigo.

“We won the tender for 2025 as well as 2027 and this super series is seen as a very important lead-up to that.

“There will be swimmers from all over Victoria – metro and regional – and we also sometimes get a few from interstate coming into compete.

“With country (short course) championships looming, we expect the super series will probably sell out in terms of entries.

“There will be a lot of swimmers wanting to swim in the pool before the country championships.”

In a major boost, Fosterville Gold has come on board as a series sponsor for the first time, tipping in $20,000 over the next three years to help develop grassroots swimming in Greater Bendigo.

“This partnership with Fosterville Gold Mine is a significant milestone for Swimming Bendigo,” Webb said.

“The support from Fosterville Gold Mine will enable us to enhance our programs and provide more opportunities for young swimmers in Greater Bendigo.

“We look forward to a successful collaboration over the next three years.”

Leigh Byrne, community officer at Fosterville Gold Mine, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership.

“We are delighted to support Swimming Bendigo and contribute to the growth of grassroots swimming in the region,” he said.

“This partnership aligns with our commitment to community development and fostering local talent.”

Webb said Bendigo’s best swimmers would be setting their sights high during the super series.

Among them will be Bendigo East’s Henry Allen, recently named in the Australian Junior Dolphins team to compete at the 2025 World Junior Championships in Romania in August.

Allen is the current holder of the Australian boys 16 100m backstroke record, set at the recent Australian Age Championships in Brisbane.

 

Webb labelled Allen’s rise through the ranks as a great story for Bendigo.

“It does just go to show that talent can be developed and nurtured right from home in Bendigo,” he said.

“Someone actually argued that Bendigo is developing some of the future household names in Australian swimming.

“I’m sure all our swimmers will be eagerly looking forward to testing themselves in the super series.”

Preparations for the two-day Victorian Short Course Country Championships on 9 and 10 August are continuing to ramp up.

Work on the installation of a new automatic timing system and touch pads at Gurri Wanyarra started last week.

More than 600 swimmers and their coaches and families are expected to be in Bendigo for the championships in what should provide a nice windfall for the Bendigo economy.