Swimming Gunnedah is gearing up for one of its biggest meets on the racing calendar, with the club hosting its annual carnival on January 3.
Elimination sprint events, a memorial relay and a raffle worth almost $5,000 will be among the features.
The carnival is expected to attract more than 100 swimmers, with entries pouring in from Sydney, the Hunter Valley, New England North West and Central West.
The SKINS event is back, where the top fastest 50 freestylers in the 10 and under, and 11 and over age groups compete in a knockout sprint event.
Raced over 50m, swimmers sprint in a series of rounds in short set intervals, with the slowest eliminated each time until two remain to battle it out for $100 cash.
The Ian Bartlett Memorial Relay Trophy will be back in play for the 6x50m freestyle, where the six fastest freestylers from each age group face off against visiting clubs.
The award holds special significance for Swimming Gunnedah as it is named after Ian Bartlett, who was a much-loved club member, talented butterflier and club record holder.
“The carnival is a major fundraiser for the club, and it will be the first time cash is awarded to winners over 11 years. It also contributes to our end-of-year awards,” Swimming Gunnedah carnival secretary Ben Sills said.
