Next weekend’s meeting will be unlike any Dunedin’s swimmers have competed in before.
In the circumstances, though, having any meeting at all is something to celebrate.
The Kiwi Swim Club has contended with restrictions around gathering limits and facility use to put on an event for Otago’s swimmers on the nights of November 19 and 20.
Kiwi competitive swimming manager Gina Wills said it had ‘‘been tricky’’ navigating the restrictions of Alert Level 2.
Alongside the club organisers, she said Swimming Otago’s Kerren Keach had been hugely significant in putting the meeting together.
Wills was pleased the club could deliver a competition for the swimmers who had been training under tough conditions.
That meant starting as early as 4.45am for some, while others were going until 8.30pm, as they fitted in with the constraints being put on Moana Pool.
She said swimmers were getting desperate — some had stopped swimming, and most were training less.
The meeting would also provide an opportunity for swimmers to achieve qualifying times for next year’s national championship events.
The gathering limit of 100 people would apply — and officials would count among that, due to Moana Pool’s interpretation of Sport New Zealand’s rule.
With 15 officials on top of team managers needed to look after the swimmers, that leaves room for about 70 swimmers — 120 have entered, including Olympic finalist Erika Fairweather — inside at a time.
Wills said having an outdoor holding tent had been considered initially.
But having kids in wet togs outside on a Dunedin night meant it was not an option.
The meeting will be held over two nights, from 6.30pm to 9.30pm, as Moana Pool had made a full-day booking unavailable.
The same session will be run twice each night — the early one for younger swimmers and the later one for older swimmers, to navigate the limit.
It also meant the meeting would run as a short-course one, making it a development meeting.
Initially, that meant it would not count towards national qualifying marks, but Swimming New Zealand had since made concessions due to other factors.
The meeting will now give swimmers the opportunity to qualify for national championship meetings.
Wills said the club would run the meeting at a loss, although felt the challenges and financial hit were worthwhile to put an event on for the swimmers.
