Swimmers from across the State make waves in New Year’s Eve Swim at Middleton Beach to send off 2023

More than 100 swimmers from across the State made a splash in Albany to mark the end of 2023 on Sunday at Albany Surf Life Saving Club’s annual New Year’s Eve Swim.

Middleton Beach attracted 125 swimmers to the waves of Ellen Cove, battling inclement weather across three divisions including 500m, 1.5km and 3km.

North Cottesloe Surf Life Saving Club’s Adam Sudlow was the fastest swimmer of the 3km division on the day with a time of 36min. 04.60sec., while Emma Warburton was the quickest of the female division with 45:24.4.

In the 1.5km event, Esperance-raised gun swimmer Josh Ellett (24:31.3) demolished the field to take out the male division.

Scarboro Surf Life Saving Club’s Amy Felton (28:59.0) won the female division and Dana Neummann (27:04.3) won the female wet-suit event.

Albany Surf Life Saving Club’s Sophia Riddell (29:01.1) and Denmark’s Pablo Sleeman (37:03.4) won the youth female and male divisions respectively.

Local swimmers Eliza Kavanagh (9:50.1) and Liam Guthrie (9:21.9) triumphed in the 500m open female and male swims.

Kaia Maloney (08:50.9) from Coogee Beach in Perth took out the top female prize and was closely followed by best placed male finisher, Mt Barker’s Jack Rowe (8:55.6).

Event organiser Nick Walker said swimmers came ready to brave the trying conditions.

“The conditions were pretty challenging with pretty strong winds and it was a bit choppy,” Walker said.

“But the swimmers put their game faces on and competed very strongly and a lot of them said it wasn’t as bad as what it looked from the shore.”