Video: Burch Defeats Relay Swim Team
Sunday’s [Dec.18] National Age Group Championships featured the “Roy Relay Race” where Olympic swimmer Roy-Allan Burch took on five teams all containing four swimmers doing 25m legs while he did the whole 100m.
Roy-Allan Burch won the race, with his 50.46sec swim the fastest by a Bermudian ever in a pool in Bermuda. However his effort will not be counted as an official record result, as he was allowed to wear a full body suit, which was recently banned by FINA.
He led from start to finish but the Bermuda Rep Team containing; 33-year-old former 1996 Olympian Steven Fahey; current National 100m breaststroke holder 21-year-old Julian Fletcher; as well as the islands fastest teenager 17-year-old Nic Patterson and former National Team member Ashley Aitken, 26, came with a whirlwind finish to just fall short.
Burch broke his National 100m short course record when he stopped the clock at 50.46sec. The Bda Rep Team clocked 50.79sec, followed by the other Bda Rep team which contained 39-year-old former 1992 Olympian Ian Raynor which clocked 51.38sec.
“That was hard, man,” said an exhausted Burch after the race. ”It was great fun, but with such cold weather no-one could swim as fast as they wanted to. Saying that, it was a great race and a great spectacle and I am just so humbled by the fact it was put on to help me.”
Keep up the good work Roy-Allen!