Local Hopes High For Bondi Ocean Swim

By Bondi Bluewater on April 15, 2011 in Sport

Expectations are high local ocean swimmers will perform well in the Beach Road Hotel Bondi Bluewater Challenge at Bondi Beach on Sunday.

Luane Rowe and Louise Stevenson, both members of the event’s host, Bondi Surf Bathers Life Saving Club, enter the last races of the 2010-11 Olympus Tough Fine Ocean series placed first and second respectively in the overall pointscore.

Rowe will contest the 20-24 years age category and she has accumulated 2288 points from 23 of the season’s lead-up ocean swims. Stevenson has 1707 points from 18 swims in the 25-29 years group.

Bondi’s Tom Miller will defend the one-kilometre event after swimming the fastest overall time last year. Miller goes into the event in peak condition, having last week competed in the Australian open swimming championships at Homebush.

Nick McCouat, from Mosman, leads the men’s overall pointscore series with 1704 points from 22 swims in the 25-29 years category. His nearest rival, another Bondi lifesaver Lochie Hines, has accumulated 1648 points from 17 swims in the 16-19 years group.

Stacey Hansford, of Quakers Hill, is expected to defend the women’s one-kilometre event, which she was overall winner of last year from the 16-19 years group.

The one-kilometre swim will start at 10 am and will be followed by the 2.1km swim at 11 am.
Entries can be lodged up to midnight on Friday by logging on to www.bondibluewater.com or late entries will be accepted on the day.

The event supports Cure Cancer Australia and a percentage of the online entry fees will be donated to the Can Too charity organisation.