ÍM50 2017 is finished and the large SH team placed on top of the medal count with 16 gold, 13 silver and 15 bronze medals.
Hrafnhildur Lúthersdóttir was the most successful swimmer of the championships with 4 individual titles, the point highest performances, and several HM-lágmark. She celebrated her 50th Icelandic title on her 10th ÍM50.
She was awarded after the meeting by SSÍ with three cups: the Kolbrún-bikar, the Sigurður-bikar and the largest trophy for the point highest performance of the season, which was presented by Iceland‘s president.
Her 200m skriðsund starting time of the relay (gold) was also a new Hafnarfjarðarmet.
Aron Örn Stefánsson was the most successful male swimmer with 4 individual and three relay titles.
Ingibjörg Kristín Jónsdóttir is already back to her University in Arizona, where she will graduate in May. She showed impressive improvements, qualified in 50 skrið and bak for HM, and was as well the important part of the relays teams (5 titles, 1 record).
Katarína Róbertsdóttir swims for her first time into the team for the European Junior Championships.
Hafþór Jón Sigurðsson set new Hafnarfjarðarmet in 800 (gold) and 1500m skriðsund.
The only two new Icelandic records of the championship were set by the SH-teams in 4x100m skriðsund Karla and 4x50m skriðsund Kvenna.
All together 25 swimmers from Hákarlar and Sverðfiskar race 171 times with 64 personal best times, and 60 races under the best 8 swimmers in the finals. 35 individual medals were won (10 gold, 12 silver and 13 bronze) and 9 relay medals (6 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze).
All swimmers raced their heart out, and showed their best possible, even if they don‘t appear always in the first top news. Many swimmers are constant podium placers and important members of every relay team, like Kolbeinn Hrafnkelsson, Predrag Milos and Bára Kristín Björgvinsdóttir.
Kolbeinn is a stable contestant in baksund with two silver and 1 bronze, just missed the gold in 50m baksund with a few hundrets of a second. He is an essential part of the gold winning and record setting relay team 4x100m.
Predrag Milos had the meeting of his life with 8 personal best times, which was awarded with 1 silver and 3 brons, besides his important part of the 2 relay golds and records as well.
Bára Kristín Björgvinsdóttir races for many years now successfully in the long distance freestyle. Many came and many went, but Bára Kristín still races and places always on the podium (this time 1 silver and 2 bronze) – also besides her important part in the relays (gold for 4x200m skriðsund).
Younger swimmers are stepping slowly into the footsteps, like Ólafur Sigurðsson, Katarína Róbertsdóttir, Sunna Svanlaug Vilhjálmsdóttir, María Fanney Kristjánsdóttir and Jóhanna Elín Guðmundsdóttir.
Ólafur didn‘t only swim always personal best times. He won as well silver in 200m bringusund, and was part of the successful relays.
Katarína established the lágmark for EMU like mentioned, and placed in all baksund events on the podium.
Also María Fanney and Sunna Svanlaug step up in their events (fjórsund and bringusund), and are always a danger to the established swimmers, and always good for medals ranks.
Quite new in the top scene is Jóhanna Elín, more in the sprint races. All three girls step already up into the successful relay teams.
Kári Sölvi Nielsen begins his part of relays with winning bronze with the 4x200m skriðsund team. He came back in each race always a new personal best time.
With a bronze medal as well in 1500m skriðsund Adele Alexandra Pálsson came home. Very young she established already earlier the lágmark for Noðurlandameistaramót Æskunnar in Færeyar this summer.
The team celebrated afterwards with a Pizza evening in Ásvallalaug.
All swimmers got supported from many parents, who acted as referees and volunteers. A big thank for that effort – it is mandatory for SH to motivate as many volunteers as swimmers are present on the championship.
Some might not be aware of this: Referees play a big part of the success of all swimmers. Good leadership of the head referee, a calm starting command, active technical, start and turn judges, and a good result handling give all swimmers a secure and stress less environment, where they can focus on their race without any worries. Thanks and appreciation to all referees and volunteers for that.