A QUARTET of Monmouth Tri Club swimmers took on the second Cotswold Big Swim Festival at Cirencester’s Lake 32 at the weekend, earning the team some top rankings, reports KELLY SALTER.

Victoria Baker smashed the 5km distance, storming home in 1 hour 29 minutes to finish second woman and first in her age category.

Club chairwoman Sharon Neville was hot on her heels, finishing in 1 hour 45 minutes, taking 12th female overall and fifth in age category.

Fellow members Martin Adams and Michelle Lee took on the 1.9km challenge, with Martin coming in 37th man home and 10th in his age category in 44 minutes, while Michelle won her age category in 37 minutes, and was 18th woman home.

The Cotswold Big Swim Festival offers four distances, including a 200m team relay, plus a 750m and 3.8km swim.

Organised by DM Max events, the festival is becoming popular for its friendly atmosphere and tight organisation.

While the fellow members were taking a dip in the Cotswolds, Jak Smith built on last weekend’s Coniston swim success, returning to the Lake District for The Lakesman triathlon in Derwent Water.

Jak steamed home third in his age category of 25 to 29 in a stunning 4 hours 15 minutes overall.

This scenic event challenges athletes to a 1.9km swim, 90km bike ride, and a 13.1km run which boasted impressive views of Cumbria, including Skiddaw.

Jak bested the swim in 25.10, the bike in 2 hours, 18 minutes and the half marathon in 1 hour 25 minutes.

Jak’s next big challenge arrives on July 6 with the Lake Windermere standard triathlon.

Several club members are now preparing for the Tenby Long Course weekend on June 27 and the Dozen Dips, a 12-hour endurance event in which competitors are challenged to swim one mile every hour.

For more information on Monmouth Tri Club, visit www.monmouthtri.club