WA Lifesavers claim second in National Championships

21 athletes from Life Saving and Swim Clubs across Perth travelled to Sydney last weekend to compete in the 2019 Australian Pool Life Saving Championships, forming WA’s largest state team in recent years.

The Australian Pool Life Saving Championships are hosted in a different state each year, and returned to New South Wales for 2019 to commemorate Royal Life Saving Society’s 125th anniversary in Australia.

The competition has been conducted in various forms since 1965, with the annual tournament now consisting of 3 days of Pool Lifesaving events combining an Under 14 and Senior (Under 16, Under 19, Open and Masters) Competition.

WA’s representatives performed exceptionally well over the three days of competition claiming 24 Gold, 15 Silver and 6 Bronze medals, to take overall Silver for the Championships behind New South Wales.

TJ Chong Sue was the star for the West Australian team, claiming 6 Individual Gold, 5 Team Gold and 1 Team Silver medals for the competition. He was also awarded Overall Male Lifesaver of the Meet, the Under 16 Australian Cup Super Lifesaver Award and Gold in the Under 16 Male overall championship.

Long term WA team member and Australian representative Jake Smith also performed exceptionally well claiming 6 Individual Gold and 5 Team Gold medals. He also won the Open Male Australian Cup Super Lifesaver Award and Gold in the Open Male overall championship.

Maddison Howe was another star performer claiming 1 Individual Gold, 2 Individual Silver, 2 Individual Bronze, 3 Team Silver and 1 Team Bronze medals for the meet. She also won Silver in the Under 19 women’s overall championship.

Up and coming young female star Lily Moore performed extremely well claiming 2 Individual Gold, 1 Individual Silver, 3 Team Gold and 1 Team Silver medals for the meet. She also won Silver in the Under 16 women’s overall championship.

WA’s team also placed Gold in the interstate men’s overall championship, Bronze in the interstate women’s overall championship, Gold in the Under 16 Interstate Championship Team, Bronze in the Open Interstate Championship Team and Bronze in the Under 19 Interstate Championship team.

Individual medal results for the team members were:

• TJ Chong Sue (UWA/West Coast Swim Club) - 6 Individual Gold, 5 Team Gold, 1 Team Silver
• Jake Smith (Craigie Breakers Swim Club) - 6 Individual Gold, 5 Team Gold
• Maddison Howe (Perth City Swimming Club) - 1 Individual Gold, 2 Individual Silver, 2 Individual Bronze, 3 Team Silver, 1 Team Bronze
• Lily Moore (Fremantle Port Swimming Club) - 2 Individual Gold, 1 Individual Silver, 3 Team Gold, 1 Team Silver
• Felicity Metcalfe (West Lifesaving Club) - 1 Individual Gold
• Adam Moore (West Lifesaving Club) - 2 Individual Silver, 2 Team Gold
• Kelton Rothnie (Southside Penrhos Wesley Swimming Club) - 2 Individual Silver, 1 Individual Bronze, 4 Team Gold, 2 Team Silver
• Harrison Hynes (Southside Penrhos Wesley Swimming Club) - 1 Individual Silver, 2 Team Gold, 3 Team Silver
• Finn Van de Nadort (Central Aquatic Swimming and Lifesaving Club) - 1 Individual Silver
• Chalise Pratt (Tuart Hill Swimming Club) - 1 Individual Bronze, 1 Team Gold, 4 Team Silver, 1 Team Bronze
• Imogen Ashworth (South Lake Dolphins Swimming Club) - 1 Individual Bronze
• Phoebe Ashworth (South Lake Dolphins Swimming Club) - 3 Team Gold, 1 Team Silver
• Lachlan Meldrum (West Lifesaving Club) - 2 Team Gold, 3 Team Silver
• Zach Brown (West Lifesaving Club) - 2 Team Gold
• Josh Windsor (West Lifesaving Club) - 2 Team Gold
• Dayna Tindal (Craigie Breakers Swim Club) - 1 Team Gold, 1 Team Silver, 1 Team Bronze
• Alicia Anderson (West Lifesaving Club) - 1 Team Silver, 1 Team Bronze

Royal Life Saving Society WA congratulates all team members on their outstanding efforts and looks forward to seeing their continued development in the sport of Pool Lifesaving over the coming 12 months.

WA's State Pool Life Saving team is supported by the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries. If you'd like to get involved in the sport click the link below to find out more.