GENEVA, Ohio — Hundreds of athletes gathered in Geneva this weekend to compete in the U.S. Masters Swimming Long Course National Championship.
The event, held at the SPIRE Institute, featured some of the fastest swimmers in the world.
It also had a huge economic impact on Geneva and Ashtabula County.
"All of these athletes are going to go out and explore Ashtabula County. They're going to go and visit the wineries. They're going to, you know, go to Geneva on the lake,” said Josh Ptak, Aquatic Facility Director at the SPIRE Institute. "I know we've worked with promotional tickets for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, getting people to explore and visit the area and really show off the city of Cleveland, Geneva, Ashtabula County and the surrounding area."
There were 706 entries for the four-day event. Over the course of the competition, 28 FINA Masters World records and 33 USMS records were broken. They are as follows:
Day 1
- Charlotte Davis, Tamalpais Aquatic Club: women’s 70-74 800 freestyle (12:01.89—FINA Masters world record and USMS record)
- Charlotte Davis, Tamalpais Aquatic Club: women’s 70-74 1500 freestyle (22:18.76—FINA Masters world record and USMS record)
- Laura Val, Tamalpais Aquatic Club: women’s 70-74 200 freestyle (2:38.04—FINA Masters world record)
- Laura Val, Tamalpais Aquatic Club: women’s 70-74 400 freestyle (5:27.70—FINA Masters world record)
- Laura Val, Tamalpais Aquatic Club: women’s 70-74 800 freestyle (11:11.89—FINA Masters world record and USMS record)
- Carolyn Boak, Woodlands Masters Swim Team: women’s 75-79 800 freestyle (13:22.23—USMS record)
Day 2
- Shirley Loftus-Charley, Virginia Masters: women’s 70-74 400 IM (7:13.95, USMS record)
- Lawrence Day, Michigan Masters: men’s 70-74 100 butterfly (1:07.40, FINA Masters world record and USMS record)
- Laura Val, Tamalpais Aquatic Masters: women’s 100 butterfly (1:16.07, FINA Masters world record and USMS record)
- Diann Uustal, Sarasota Sharks Masters: women’s 75-79 50 freestyle (34.11, FINA Masters world record and USMS record)
- Laura Val, Tamalpais Aquatic Masters: women’s 70-74 200 backstroke (2:49.43, FINA Masters world record and USMS record)
- David Guthrie, Rice Aquatic Masters: men’s 60-64 100 breaststroke (1:11.72, FINA Masters world record and USMS record)
Day 3
- Adam Ritter, Columbus Sharks Masters: men’s 35-39 100 freestyle (51.45, USMS record)
- Laura Val, Tamalpais Aquatic Masters: women’s 70-74 100 freestyle (1:06.90, FINA Masters world record and USMS record)
- Diann Uustal, Sarasota Sharks: women’s 75-79 100 freestyle (1:17.38, FINA Masters world record and USMS record)
- Mike Freshley, Sarasota Sharks: men’s 80-84 200 breaststroke (3:34.04, USMS record)
- Charlotte Davis, Tamalpais Aquatic Masters: women’s 70-74 200 breaststroke (USMS record)
- Laura Val, Tamalpais Aquatic Masters: women’s 70-74 50 backstroke (FINA Masters world record and USMS record)
- Diann Uustal, Sarasota Sharks: women’s 75-79 50 backstroke (FINA Masters world record and USMS record)
- Lawrence Day, Michigan Masters: men’s 70-74 200 butterfly (FINA Masters world record and USMS record)
- Laura Val, Tamalpais Aquatic Masters: women's 70-74 50 freestyle (30.73, FINA Masters world record and USMS record)
- Tamalpais Aquatic Masters: mixed 280-319 200 freestyle relay (2:03.33, FINA Masters world record and USMS record)
Day 4
- Laura Val, Tamalpais Aquatic Masters: women’s 70-74 50 backstroke (35.16, FINA Masters world record and USMS record)
- Diann Uustal, Sarasota Sharks: women’s 75-79 50 backstroke (40.08, FINA Masters world record and USMS record)
- Lawrence Day, Michigan Masters: men’s 200 butterfly (2:47.17, FINA Masters world record and USMS record)
- Robert Wright, MOVY Masters: men’s 70-74 50 breaststroke (36.21, FINA Masters world record and USMS record)
- Beth Estel, New England Masters Swim Club: women’s 65-69 50 breaststroke (41.87, USMS record)
- Laura Val, Tamalpais Aquatic Masters: women’s 70-74 100 backstroke (1:17.98, FINA Masters world record and USMS record)
- Diann Uustal, Sarasota Sharks: women’s 75-79 100 backstroke (1:28.67, FINA Masters world record and USMS record)
- Diann Uustal, Sarasota Sharks: women’s 75-79 200 freestyle (2:56.75, USMS record)
- Chuck Barnes, New England Masters Swim Club: men’s 50 butterfly (25.24, FINA Masters world record and USMS record)
- Steve Hiltabiddle, Colonials 1776: men’s 55-59 50 butterfly (26.56, FINA Masters world record and USMS record)
- Lawrence Day, Michigan Masters: men’s 70-74 50 butterfly (29.98, FINA Masters world record and USMS record)
- Lawrence Day, Michigan Masters: men’s 70-74 200 IM (2:42.94, FINA Masters world record and USMS record)
- Tamalpais Aquatic Masters: mixed 280-319 200 freestyle relay (2:03.33, FINA Masters world record and USMS record)
Qualifying times can be found, here.
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