Like the 5K Team Event at the World Championships, team pursuit relays of all different formats are becoming more and more popular at open water competitions around the world.

The Henley Swim at the picturesque Queenford Lakes, south of Oxford, featured a 4 x 1K relay. Similar to the team events at the Japan International Open Water Swimming Association events, four swimmers combined for a competitive relay to kick off the morning. Then, similar to the European LEN Championships, the swimmers were able to also participate in another innovative relay concept: the more technical team pursuit relay.

Tom Kean explains, “In the four by 1 kilometre relay, rubber wristbands acted as batons and a test of calmness and dexterity was demonstrated at the changeovers. Then came the fiendishly tricky team pursuit, where competitors lined up side by side in teams of four, to be sent on their way, with 30 seconds between each team, twice round the triangular kilometer course, swimming in close formation to get all four round as fast as possible.”

We knew it was hard to swim effectively as a foursome. I think a lot of people have realized that there is a lot more to team pursuit than they had imagined – it sounds easy, but in practice, it is very hard to get four people working together to get the slowest swimmer moving faster than if they were swimming solo.”

Official Results of the Queenford Lake Relays 4K

1. Tri20 54:26
2. Hillingdon Anvils 57:24
3. HOWSC ‘A’ 59:04
4. COSC Men 59:28
5. COSC Ladies 1:00:39
6. Oxford Water Polo 1:02:58
7. White Horses 1:03:45
8. Merton Abbey 1:05:07
9. COSC Mixed 1:06:18
10. Team Tannahill 1:07:46
11. Wildcard 1:09:50
12. Mid Sussex Marlins 1:12:21
13. Channel Swimmers 1:15:28
14. Team Graham 1:23:17
15. Those Swimming Sisters 1:24:38
16. Marlow Mermaids 1:24:54
17. Dalmatian Coasters 1:25:28
18. Muffin 1:40:31

Queenford Lake Pursuit 1K
1. Tri20 14:01
2. Hillingdon Anvils 14:49
3. Merton Abbey 15:01
4. HOWSC “A” 15:04
5. Oxford Water Polo 17:02
6. Team Tannahill 17:39
7. Muffin 26:17

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