Pride alum sets Bermudan swimming record
Aug. 28,
2012 |
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LONDON, England — Former Springfield College swimmer Roy-Allan Burch won his heat and established a Bermudan national record in the 50-meter freestyle at the Olympic games on Aug. 2, but did not advance to the semifinals of his lone event. Thus, despite swimming his best time ever, the Olympic dreams for this Springfield College grad are over.
Burch, swimming in his second Olympic Games, posted a time of 22.47 seconds, which bettered his own Bermudan national record of 22.69 seconds which he set in Shanghai, China last year at the World Championship Games.
Burch finished 24th of 58 swimmers, but needed to swim a top-16 time to advance to the semifinals. Only six swimmers posted a time of less than 22 seconds, including Americans Anthony Ervin (21.83) and Cullen Jones (21.95). The best overall time in this morning's 50-free was 21.77 by George Richard Bovell of Trinidad, who placed first in Heat 6.
This was Burch's second time competing at the Olympic Games, having also competed in Beijing in 2008. In those games, Roy swam a time of 52.65 seconds in the 100 meters, but also did not advance beyond the "heat" stage to reach the semifinals.
Burch owns the Bermudan national records in both the 50-meter and 100-meter events.
He chose to compete in the 50-meter event in these London games.
Fly fishing clinic
WESTFIELD — The Westfield River Watershed Association (WRWA) and the Western Mass. Fly Fishermen will offer a free Introduction to Fly Fishing clinic on Sept. 15 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The clinic will take place on Route 20 in Huntington, in the turnout on the Westfield River, across from the health clinic.
People can drop in throughout the day and enjoy tying their own flies, which they can take home, as well as practice casting. If they own a fly rod and want to learn more about using it, WRWA encourages them to bring it to the clinic. In addition to seasoned fly fishermen teaching casting and fly tying, a biologist will be on hand to net insects from the river and help participants learn to identify them under microscopes.
There will be a portable toilet on site. The clinic will be held rain or shine, barring extremely stormy weather.
The Westfield River Watershed Association will also sponsor a river clean-up on Saturday, Sept. 29. To learn more about these events, visit www.westfieldriver.org. For more information about the Western Mass. Fly Fishermen, visit www.wmflyfishermen.org .
The Westfield River Watershed Association was established in 1953 to protect and improve the natural resources of the watershed, as well as to expand recreational and other land use opportunities for people's enjoyment and for sound ecology. To learn more, visit www.westfieldriver.org.
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