Middlesex is one of London’s local competitions and every year we send a few swimmers to their events.
This weekend, we sent 17 swimmers to Barnet Copthall Leisure Centre to compete at the MCASA Masters 2026 event. We were the 4th largest team and came out at the top of medal table! We also won Top Men’s Team 💪
Every swimmer took home a medal and we all had a lovely Sunday, getting ready for the week (and further competitions ahead)! 🏆
Every year, Amsterdam and Vienna alternate who gets to celebrate Valentine’s day with a special, fun, loved up swim competition.
2026 was Amsterdam’s turn and OTS went along to celebrate and participate in the event.
There was a lot of love and swimming with plenty of hageslag and waffles being consumed to fuel all the racing.
With over 50 members competing, we were the largest visiting club by far!
This was also some people’s first competition and everyone had a good time and started to prepare for Gay Games later in the year!
Matt and Chris travelled to Derby on the 8th of November to complete their Decathlon challenge!
The Decathlon challenge is an event promoted by Swim England where swimmers have to participate in 10 different races. For more information, please check this link.
Well done!! 💪🏊♂️🏳🌈
Out to Swim sent a few fast swimmers to Nationals this year!
We all competed as a united club and had a wonderful time. Everyone walked away with PBs, good swims and fun memories.
Some London swimmers returned to Mill Hill to participate in Barnet Masters Sprint event.
Some were returning after a while away from competitions.
We were planning for a post-event social, but the rain put an end to that as everyone rushed back to the tube with muddy shoes.
Various swimmers returned to Maidenhead in 2025 for their local event.
Some swimmer were taking part in a competition for the very first time, and others were coming back after a while away.
Most walked away with medals and PBs, but we all had a wonderful time and returned to the local pub for our yearly roast dinner.
All of OTS went to Manchester for the weekend to participate in the revitalisation of their local swim event.
We were welcomed by Northern Wave, our sister LGBT+ swim club in Manchester and had a wonderful weekend of swimming, socialising and shimmying down Canal Street with our friends.
Bonjour!
Various club members crossed the Channel and went to Lyon for Eurogames.
Despite some last minute changes and stress due to event and timing changes, OTS was able to get together and have a decent time at Eurogames.
Various members crossed the pond and went to Washington DC for IGLA 2025.
It was wonderful to support our US colleagues and participate in their wonderfully planned event.
A smaller than expected group participated, due to the current political situation, but those who went had a wonderful time, wonderful swims and enjoyed themselves in sunny DC.
Following a period of assessment and thinking, our lovely Coach team, headed by Hannah Soltz, rebranded the London Swimming Lanes.
To remove the stigma surrounding numbered lanes, the coaches have decided to rename them after chemical elements instead.
With fewer groups, the lanes are now more concise and able to support each other to develop and grow.
The new Swimming Groups are now called Neon, Cobalt, Magnesium and Titanium.
The whole club gathered in Bristol and participated in OTS Bristol Spring Gala.
This was a fun, non-competitive event, where everyone had fun and socialised with other parts of the club who all came together for a wonderful time in sunny Bristol.
Video of the event: https://www.instagram.com/p/DIhNOO2xQHD/
A few London swimmers took to Essex to participate in their Masters event.
A nice and local event where everyone had a good time and walked away with some medals.
A few brave souls took the Northern line all the way to Mill Hill East and braved the 1500m free swim.
This event awards no medals and is just a test of one’s endurance, patience, technique and speed.
Various members from across the club braved 10+ hour flights and went to Argentina for IGLA 2024.
It was a nice break from the British weather. Because it’s in the southern hemisphere, the temperatures were lovely, despite being November.
Our hosts were the wonderful local swim team who put on a well planned, well organised and very diverse and inclusive event, which started with everyone participating in the local Pride March!
A small team of London swimmers took the Northern line to Mill Hill and took part in the Barnet Coptall Masters on the 15th of September.
Barnet is one of our favourite competitions, as its local, fun, and everyone usually walks away with medals.
Some London swimmers and Ashley from Bristol got the Elizabeth line to Maidenhead and went to the Berks and South Bucks Masters Meet.
We all got medals or PBs and went for a lovely roast dinner at the nearby pub after.
Despite a car battery not working and nearly leaving us stranded at the end, we were able to work together to get the car working and go back home. Team work makes the dream work, or in this case, the car.
Various members from all over the club took to Vienna to participate in Eurogames 2024.
Everyone walked away with medals, PBs and wonderful memories of a well organised event in a wonderful city and friendly Eurogames hosts.
Various members from London braved the yearly 1500m event in Barnet.
This yearly event doesn’t award medals and it’s a test of one’s endurance, patience and foolhardiness, to endure a 1500m swimming event!
Twelve swimmers attended the annual Middlesex Meet. There was a mix of the experienced, first timers and returnees after a long break. It was great to welcome Water Polo swimmers to this team who put their competitive spirit too good use. Every swimmer won medals so that Out to Swim gained third place in the men’s individual section, only a few points behind second place. The individual medal total was: 6 Gold, 8 Silver and 1 Bronze. In the relays (200 Free and Medley) our M100+ team won 2 gold; the M120+, 1 silver and one bronze and the M200+, 2 Silver.
A great learning experience for all with lots PBs, fun and camaraderie.
Hannah & Christopher
OTS Swimming Competitions Captains
Traditionally, not many from OTS travel to this meet, in a different city around the UK each year. It’s ideal for distance swimmers and is less crowded that the Short Course Nationals in October.
Four of us attended, dodging train strikes successfully and getting there in time to warm up and race. Our medal haul was: 3 Gold, 1 Silver and 4 Bronze. Congratulations to Myles for his first ever Nationals medal in the 400 Free and a Long Course PB for the 100 Free.
The number of National, European and World Long-Course records broken was phenomenal in both individual and relay events, so we were well entertained.
Hannah & Christopher
OTS Swimming Competitions Captains
