Chairmans Chat - February 2002
Before looking forward to 2002, I would like to reflect
back at some of our achievements last year. The National Speedo League
Finals in April found us finishing 3rd in the ‘B’ Final, rewarding us
with a ranking as one of the top Swimming Clubs in the UK. A couple of
months later at the Welsh Age Group Championships in Swansea, our swimmers
performed exceptionally well once again and by winning over twice as many
gold medals as the nearest best Club, we maintained our position as Top
Swimming Club in Wales. This was reinforced further later in the year
at the Welsh Winter Championships in December, where our final medal tally
once again out-numbered all other Welsh Clubs.
Apart from their invaluable contribution to our overall
Club performance during the year, our individual swimming achievements
were equally as impressive. Superb coaching by our professional and volunteer
staff resulted in 16 of our swimmers achieving qualifying times for the
National Age Group Championships and representation at the highest level
in national and international events rounded an impressive 2001 for the
City of Cardiff Swimming Club. With qualification to another Speedo League
Final, numerous Open Meets, Inter-Clubs, Championships of one category
or another and not forgetting of course, the Commonwealth Games, there
is so much to look forward to in 2002.
Many of our senior swimmers have qualified for the Commonwealth
Games Trials and I am especially looking forward to following their progress
up to and after these trials. Indeed, it is this ever-improving success
of our Club, that we have received interest and movement from swimmers
of other clubs in recent months, all wanting to share and improve our
depth of ability further. I am delighted that we have a Club that welcomes
all from within and outside the County borders and may we always be able
to embrace all those that wish to develop further in this great sport
of swimming.
The only uncertainty on the horizon still is the future
of the pool in WIS. We decided at the outset to maintain a low public
profile stance in our discussions and correspondence with the Sports Council
for Wales, Cardiff County Council, National Assembly for Wales and our
governing body WASA.
Needless to say, that all our deliberations have the very
best interest for our Club. We believe that it is this method of approach
that will result in achieving our aim of maintaining the WIS facility
until our longer-term objective of a 50-metre facility in Cardiff is achieved.
We believe that it is by adopting such a professional, but determined
stance that has led to the Sports Council for Wales to issue their latest
statement; “SCW would not close the pool at the Institute until the new
National Swimming Pool becomes operational.” Furthermore, we have been
advised that; “The SCW is currently in discussions with Cardiff County
Council about including the provision of a new pool for the City in building
a new swimming pool in Cardiff.” With statements coming from such a high
authority, we are cautiously optimistic about the future of our facilities,
but we will nevertheless continue to pursue all lines of communication
available to us until we achieve our objective.
Steve
Airey Club Chairman
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