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| Tuesday, 2 March 2004 |
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Popular two-mile sea swim on March 7 by Leslie Fernando Douglas V. Arndt, former Thomian and Otter Aquatic Club swimmer who has won the prestigious Open Two-mile sea swim at Mt. Lavinia for six successive years from 1946 to 1951, will be the chief guest at this year's 67th Mt. Lavinia sea swim to be held on March 7 the start of which will be opposite the Mount Lavinia Hotel. Former Josephian and Sri Lanka swimmer Tony Williams will be the guest of honour. Both Douglas and Tony now in Australia has confirmed their visit to Sri Lanka and accepted the invitation to be there at the two-mile sea swim which is still the 'Blue Riband' of long distance swimming in Sri Lanka. The first two mile sea swim was swum in March 1939 from a point opposite Boswell Place, Wellawatte. Nine swimmers were told to go and swim the two miles identified by David Vast. All nine turned up at the beach opposite the Bathing Pavilion of the Mount Lavinia Hotel. They were in this order: Buster Schofield (Otter AC), Frank Swan (OAC), R. H. Collins (Colombo Swimming Club), Greg Roszkowski (OAC), I. M. Ward (CH & FC). D. Evarts (Kinross Swimming Club), E. Steinwall (KSC), S. H. Mihlar (KSC) and Guy S. (OAC), Frank Swan won it. Douglas V. Arndt won it for the first time in 1946, 58 long years ago and retained the Tomlinson Challenge Cup for men's individual Championships for six consecutive years upto in 1951. David Vast, the Swimming Secretary of CH & FC, was also the first Secretary of the CASA got R. A. Tomlinson, Manager, Times of Ceylon to donate the first challenge trophy, which became the Tomlinson Challenge Cup from 1939. Geoff C. Marks of Fishtail Aquatic Club holds the record, winning the open two-mile sea swim, Mt. Lavinia for nine successive years. Geoff first won it in 1952 and continued his winning form till 1960 - a great achievement from the swimmer from Mutwal. K. P. N. Pathmadeva (Devananda College, Ambalangoda) has won four times 1972-1975 R. M. Pradeep Chandrika (Devananda College, Ambalangoda) won five times 1991 to 1995 and Ajith Weerakkody (Devananda College, Ambalangoda) four times. 1998-2001. It took some 19 years for Kinross Swimming and Life-Savings Club president (1946-1956) to think it fit to donate the Dr. Hugh T. Anthonisz Challenge Trophy for women's individual championships. Tara Bolling (Sri Lanka's ace swimmer, Julian's mother) has won it six times 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1964 and 1965. R. M. Dhammika of Devananda College, Ambalangoda won it in 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990 and 1991 while Upeka Samarawickrema of St. Bridget's Convent won it from 1994 to 1997 - four times. Last year, Ajith Kumara of Dolphin Aquatic Club won the men's event (47.07 secs) while Uma Kavya Dharmadasa of Musaeus College won the women's event (55.15 secs). The trophies on offer are: Tomlinson Challenge Cup (men's champion), Dr. H. T. Anthonisz Challenge Cup (Women's champion), The Mount Lavinia Hotel Challenge Cup (men's team Championships), The Half-Past-Nine (HPN) Challenge Cup (men's aggregate highest points score), Inter-Services Championships Trophy, Bata Challenge Cup and Diana Challenge Cup (boys youngest swimmer), E. G. A. Wilson Challenge Cup (girls youngest swimmer), Colombo Mayor's Challenge Cup (women's team championships), Otter AC Challenge Cup (Oldest men's swimmer), Panadura AC Challenge Cup (Older women's swimmer), Bank of Ceylon Challenge Cup Disabled swimmer). The event is sponsored by National Development Lottery and Mount Lavinia Hotel. |
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