Sir, – As you are aware, the 100th Liffey swimming race takes place on Saturday. This is a handicap event, which means entrants are given a time penalty according to their abilities.
As chief handicapper, I would like, as an exercise in transparency, to set out a number of the handicap considerations.
The first thing to note is that we will have over 500 men and women racing and only one man and one woman can win. This means that there is a guarantee of a lot of disappointment. The second thing to note is that I don’t feel there is any honour in winning without having raced with every fibre in your body and every ounce of resolve in your mind.
On this point, your handicap will reflect a real achievement when you raise that cup at the Custom House.
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A third point is that the handicapping system cannot take responsibility for your goggles falling off; for getting stuck behind a slow peloton; for having to stop if you’ve accidentally swallowed Liffey water and you can’t decide if you’re at the the fresh water or salt-water end; or if you cramp up because you hadn’t done the training you believed you had.
The fourth thing to note is the river is only so wide at any point, so it is going to create a process of natural selection, so swim smart and swim safely.
The final footnote I would like to add is that the documentary video published on your website was highly poignant and nostalgic, especially the bit with the North Dublin swimmers at the van at Portmarnock. – Yours, etc,
CEALL O’DÚNLAING,
Dublin 7.