Six former Olympians participated in the Masters Swimming time trials held yesterday at the Damodar Aquatic Centre in Suva.
Among the 25 registered former swimmers, the oldest competitor was 70 years old. Notably, five-time Olympian and Fiji Swimming record holder Carl Probert was one of the participants, eager to regain a sense of competitiveness after years away from the sport.
“We think there is an opportunity to encourage people who have retired from sport or those who want to stay active by creating competition or at least encouraging participation,” Probert said. “People often finish school, start work, and find limited avenues to stay competitive and social, so this is one way to keep them engaged.”
The Masters event aims to serve multiple purposes. “The Masters competition is as big as the Olympics or even bigger,” Probert continued. “We had 25 participants today, but I am confident that future events will attract more. I hope this serves as a stepping stone towards sending a Masters team to represent Fiji in Singapore next year.”
Former Olympians like Sharon Smith, Foy Chung, Jason Chute, and others see this as a great opportunity to remain involved in the sport post-retirement.
Plans are underway to hold a formal Masters competition after the Olympic Games in France. “The times set at that competition will become Fiji records, as we currently do not have formal Masters records,” noted Probert.
This initiative will set the benchmark for the World Masters next year, for which swimmers need to qualify based on merit.