The coastal town of Riccione, situated on the Italian Adriatic coast, plays host to the 14th Fina World Masters Swimming Championships 2012.

My wife and son will be joining me on this trip, as we head to my first World Championships. I will be swimming the 200m, 400m, 800m Freestyle events in the pool as well as the 3km Open Water swim.

Fina World Masters Championships 2012

Thank you to everyone who has supported me over the last few months, I really appreciate your support. Thank you to my Coach Bren and my Vineyard team for all of your hard work, continuously pushing my limits everyday in training.

A special thank you needs to go out to my wife, Vanessa, without whom none of this would have been possible. Today is Nes’ Birthday, I hope that you have an absolutely fantastic day and I wish you everything of the best for the year ahead my darling. Nes has really been the driving force behind my swimming over the last year. She has been there for me through thick and thin, done whatever she possibly could to help me every single day. She has never questioned my early morning and late night training sessions after work; dinner has always been waiting for me when I get home at 21h00. Thanks Nes for all your effort and support, I can’t tell you how much it has meant to me.

Now, it is off to Riccione we go in search of best times and I will be giving it 100% effort. I am excited to head off to summer weather and of course the well needed break in Tuscany with my family after the event.

Good luck to everyone from Cape Town Masters Swimming Club as well as all of the other South Africans taking part, wishing you great success at World Champs.

For Results, Heat Sheets and Starting Lists, please follow the link: Results

I will try and keep the updates going on twitter www.twitter.com/philswim