While it is greatly debated among many what the best carnival is at William Clarke College, the swimming carnival is a fan favourite. Its placement near the start of the year makes it somewhat of a ‘last hurrah’ for the relaxed energy of the holiday, and I personally love the swimming carnival.  

Kicking things off with a bang, the legendary Daniel C (Year 10) broke the 16 Boys 100m Freestyle with a 54.77 before much of the school had even gotten off the buses! This was not the only record he broke that day, including a time of 25.39 in the 50m Freestyle as well. Additionally, congratulations to all the students that made the commitment to getting to school early for this race (though I am sure getting up early to swim is a regular occurrence for many of you). Although the Butterfly saw few participants, it was quite entertaining to watch, as some races came down to just two racers competing for the win. 

However, the main event in question was, of course, the 50m Freestyle. This race brought in the most competitors, in both the competitive and participation races, with the participation races being equally as entertaining to watch as it is getting in the pool. Following the Freestyle were the Breaststroke and Backstroke; however, participation in Backstroke was tragically cancelled due to time restrictions.  

After the range of individual races had concluded, it was time to let our house spirit shine. From winning the House Chants, to winning 3 out of 4 of the house relays, Langdon demonstrated themselves to have absolute domination at this year’s carnival, even putting Andrew’s dominance from last year into question. However, it is still fair game for any house to win, as participation is arguably the most important factor in winning any carnival.  

We will eagerly anticipate the results of this carnival, however, the excitement is not over yet, as the Athletics carnival is fast-approaching. Until then, we can only speculate which house will end up on top…