Previous Story
Saipan hosts Masters Swim meet on Jan. 27
|
Posted on Jan 03 2001
The first Saipan Masters competition will be held on Jan. 27, 2001 at Kan Pacific Olympic Swimming Pool. The Mariana Resort Hotel, Hotel Nikko Saipan, Mizuno Corporation and Viento Co. are sponsoring this first time event. The Saipan Swim Club will be assisting in the coordination of the event.
The number of swimmers expected from Japan will be a little under 100, but there has been a lot of interest from Saipan and some from Guam.
Team trophies will be awarded to the top three teams in each male and female categories. Medals will be awarded to the first finishers in each event in each age group from 18-24 years, 25-29, 30-34, up to 90 years and over, in increments of every five years.
Former competitive swimmers from the NMI and the states that are now living on Saipan have said they would compete, including Michael Villagomez, Ty Izuka, Frank Ada, Colin Thompson and Alan Buchanan. Also Olympic swimmer from Israel, Danny Stern has indicated an interest in competing. Many of the local triathletes from Saipan and Rota have said expressed interest to participate.
The events are the 50m and 100m Freestyle, 50m and 100m Backstroke, 50m and 100m Breaststroke, 50m Butterfly, 200m Individual Medley, and the 200m Medley Relay and 200m Freestyle Relay. Each swimmer is allowed to swim three individual events and one relay event.
A $20.00 entry fee includes a t-shirt and admission to a farewell party on the evening of Jan. 27th.
Daichi Suzuki, Olympic gold medalist in the 100m Backstroke in the 1988 Seoul Olympic games, will be on hand for a clinic for the Masters Swimmers. Daichi trained with his team on Saipan prior to the Seoul Olympics, and returned to give a clinic during the 1999 All Sports Challenge.
Entries are due before Jan. 8, 2001 to Tom Idetsuki at the Nikko Hotel (tel. 322-3311) or Bill Sakovich at 234-1001. An event list is posted at the Kan Pacific Pool.
This will be a big weekend for many athletes as many of same swimmers will compete in the 10km or half marathon that same morning of Jan. 27 sponsored by MVA, then the swim meet, and that evening venture over Tinian to participate in the Tinian triathlon at 7:00 a.m. and the open water swim at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2001.
