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There will be a good number of international swimmers at this year's 33rd Halfway-Telkom Seals Midmar Mile on February 11-12 at Midmar Dam, including Great Britain's Keri-Ann Payne who will be aiming to make it three wins in succession in the open women's division.
Event organiser Wayne Riddin said at Wednesday's launch of the world's largest openwater event, that indications were that the dam would be at about the same level as it was in 2005 and that the times set in 2005 were recognised as new inaugural records for the 1 620m distance. An innovation this year will be that the batches of swimmers will be set off at three-minute intervals instead of two minutes, with batches consisting of anything between 400 and 600 swimmers, according to the entries.
 
The biggest entry so far is in the non-company relay which is standing at 3 000, with a total of more than 12 000 entries expected for the two-day swimfest.
Traditionally, the Telkom national openwater championships run concurrently with the Midmar Mile, with the 25km swim on February 10, the 5km swim on February 13 and the 10km swim on February 14.
Payne will be accompanied by British team-mates Kate Whitfield, fifth in 2005, Pat Hazelwood, Cassie Patten, Leigh Whitehead and Tara Stones. The South African swimmers looking to bring the Midmar title back include former winner (2003) Melissa Corfe, Kathryn Meaklim, Lauren Bezuidenhout and Dimita Drakopoulos.
The South African challenge for top men's honours has been dealt a double blow by the withdrawal of three-times winner (1996, 1997, 2003) Gareth Fowler and former two-times junior winner Shaun Dias of Gotcha Durban Surf, who will be in Australia on duty for their club at the Rescue 2006 world lifesaving championships.
Conversely, Australia will be represented at Midmar for the first time by another Commonwealth Games swimmer, Kurtis McGillivray, who will renew his rivalry with Kloof's Troyden Prinsloo. Also in the lineup is UK swimmer James Goddard, Commonwealth Games gold medallist in 2002 and deaf Olympian, Terence Parkin, who completed all eight of 2005's Miles to become a member of the exclusive 8 Mile Club.
Although entries have now closed for the event, late entries will be accepted at the Liberty Midlands Mall on February 8, 9 and 10 and also at Midmar Dam on race days.
- This article was originally published on page 23 of The Mercury on February 02, 2006
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