Sorrento Beach open water swim marked the final round of the 2009/2010 Water Corporation Open Water Swim Series on the 23^rd and 24^th January 2010.

The two day event included Swimming WA’s Open Water State Championships, the 10km Rottnest Channel ‘Rotto Rehearsal’ and the inaugural Sportingbet Celebrity Swim Challenge. Just shy of 600 participants took to the water across Saturday and Sunday. Sorrento Beach’s swimming conditions were almost perfect, suitable for all levels to participate in this community friendly event. On Day 1 Swimming WA held the inaugural Sportingbet Celebrity Swim Challenge that comprised of Western Australia’s top swimming athletes and celebrities. 

The teams included:

Team 1

1. Fremantle Dockers Ruckman - Aaron Sandilands,
2. Member of the 2004/2005 Telstra Dolphins Squad and backstroke extraordinaire - Amy Lucas
3. 7 time world record holder marathon swimmer - Shelley Taylor-Smith
4. And 2009 Swimming WA Open Water Swimmer of the Year and International Open Water Swimming sensation - Rhys Mainstone. 

1. Former West Coast Footballer and Channel 7 reporter - Adrian Barich
2. International Open Water Swimmer - Melissa Benson
3. The Minister of Sport and Recreation The Honorable - Terry Waldron MLA
4. And 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Olympic swimmer - Travis Nederpelt.

1. World champion disabled swimmer, winning nine Paralympic gold medals as well as world records and world championships - Paralympic Swimmer Priya Cooper
2. West Australian Institute of Sport Athlete and 5^th Fastest Australian ALL-TIME for Short Course 100 & 200 Backstroke- Aryton Dickey
3. 2004 Athens Olympic Swimmer and 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games Swimmer - Jim Piper
4. And former St Kilda Footballer and now current Subiaco WAFL Footballer - Michael Rix

1. Won Gold at the Oceania Swimming Championships back in 1997, appeared on Getaway, and regularly featured on Just Add Water, co-hosts Postcards and 6PR Producer - Paul Entwistle. 
2. Telstra Dolphins Team Member at the 2009 FINA World Championships and voted Swimming WA’s 2009 Swimmer's Swimmer of the Year -  Blair Evans
3. 2005 Miss Universe Australia - Michelle Guy
4. And West Australian Institute of Sport athlete and sixth fastest Australian ALL-TIME in the 200m Breaststroke and ninth Fastest Australian ALL-TIME in the 100m Breaststroke - Craig Tucker.

Aaron Sandilands, Amy Lucas, Shelley Taylor-Smith and Rhys Mainstone took out the challenge and thanks to Sportingbet a $1000 cheque will be heading to their team’s charity of choice, The Asthma Foundation.  Day 1 also comprised on the 1.25km and 5km swim with some brilliant swims from some of WA’s open water swimmers.  

The winners of each age category are listed below:

1.25km

Female 15yrs/U – Rebecca Robinson Time: 18:05

Male 15yrs/U – Dino Kapac Time: 15:56 

Female 17yrs/U – Srna Kapac Time: 16:49

Male 17yrs/U – Elliot Grierson Time: 15:00 

Female 18yrs/O – Julia Marr Time: 18.58

Male 18yrs/O – Michael Roelink Time: 17.50 

Female 35yrs/O – Lisl McGuire Time: 21.28

Male 35yrs/O – Markus Donato Time: 18.26 

Female 50yrs/O – Barbara Wilson Time: 26.23

Male 50yrs/O – Nick Franey Time: 24.25 

5km

Female 15yrs/U – Jen Blaxill Time: 1:03.03

Male 15yrs/U – Thomas Atkin Time: 1:03.57 

Female 17yrs/U – Artis Yvonne Time: 1:02.57

Male 17yrs/U – Gene Williams Time: 58.03 

Female 18yrs/O – Brittany Russell Time: 1:11.44

Male 18yrs/O – Rhys Mainstone Time: 58.02 

Female 35yrs/O – Tiffany Frasier-Gillard Time: 1:11.35

Male 35yrs/O – Benjamin Hewitt Time: 59.42 

Female 50yrs/O – Kathryn Phillips Time: 1:39.58

Male 50yrs/O – Paul Blackbeard Time: 1:10.40 

Day 2 comprised of the 2.5km and 10km swim and incorporated the ‘Rotto Rehearsal’. First time solo swimmers competing in the February Rottnest Channel Swim needed to prove their ability to complete the 19.7km event.  

Again some fantastic times were achieved and the winners of each age category are listed below:  

2.5km

Female 15yrs/U – Kiira Walter Time: 34.1

3Male 15yrs/U – Thomas Atkin Time: 31.39 

Female 17yrs/U – Jessica Greenhalgh Time: 39.44

Male 17yrs/U – Jake Harris Time: 33.55 

Female 18yrs/O – Michelle Ward Time: 36.05

Male 18yrs/O – Paul Laver Time: 29.03 

Female 35yrs/O – Kara Wright Time: 36.02

Male 35yrs/O – Frank van Rooyen Time: 34.12 

Female 50yrs/O – Eleanor Parsons Time: 36.30

Male 50yrs/O – Timothy Mather Time: 37.46 

10km

Female 15yrs/U – Jessica Murray Time: 2:16.59

Male 15yrs/U – Oliver Mills Time: 3:08.18 

Female 17yrs/U – Brooke Wilson Time: 2:11.54

Male 17yrs/U – Gene Williams Time: 2:00.39 

Female 18yrs/O – Melissa Benson Time: 2:07.07

Male 18yrs/O – Rhys Mainstone Time: 1:57.44 

Female 35yrs/O – Charlotte O’Beirne Time: 2:26.15

Male 35yrs/O – Deane Pieters Time: 2:02.26 

Female 50yrs/O – Mary-Anne Paton Time: 2:40.19

Male 50yrs/O – Ed Stucken Time:  2:42.58

Congratulations to all those that competed across the 2009/2010 Water Corporation Open Water Swim Series.  The 2010/2011 Open Water Series will again hit Perth’s beaches in November 2010 and is expected to be the biggest series to date in the history of the Water Corporation Open Water Swim Series.

Thank you to all the volunteers, officials, swimmers and parents for their support at each event. We hope you enjoyed the open water season and we look forward to seeing you again.