BY MURAT MOLDOBAEV (CHEM/I)
This term’s Swim Festival took place on Thursday, October 8 at Bilkent’s swimming pool. There were four competitions, consisting of separate men’s and women’s medium- and advanced-level events. Spectators and supporters were also on hand to cheer on the competitors. The general view was that participants were satisfied with how the event was run and happy to have been part of it. Here are some thoughts and impressions from the festival’s attendees.
One of the reasons students came to the festival was to watch fellow students compete and feel the event’s vibe. Aziza Abdieva, for instance, said she came to motivate herself to learn to swim. “I’m not good at swimming. Looking at the competitors, it gives me extra motivation to become a better swimmer,” she declared. She also expressed her surprise and delight to see considerable female participation, because, she said, she had previously had the impression that swimming was a male sport. When asked whether she sees herself as a competitor in the event’s next occurrence, she replied that if she feels confident, she will give it a shot.
Many of the students there were visiting the swimming pool for the first time. Dastan Abaskanov, one of the first-timers who came to support a friend, was excited about the new facility and said it was “really cool.” He, and no doubt many others, were also pleased to see how quickly the lifeguards reacted to help a competitor who had a cramp.
Dastan’s friend, Arın Özmen, finished second in the men’s medium-level competition. When asked whether he had expected this result, he smiled and replied that he hadn’t expected it at all. He added that he had enjoyed it very much and would like the event to be held more frequently. “I want to come back next time and try to go one step higher,” he declared.
At the advanced level, Ekrem Selçuk Kangal, who is a member of Bilkent’s men’s swim team, won the men’s competition. After accepting congratulations and talking about how good it was to see a reward for his hard work, he touched upon the topic of swimming as a competitive sport. “Swimming is one of the hardest sports. People [in Turkey] view it as a recreational activity. I would like to see more people consider swimming a serious sport,” he stated.
The women’s advanced-level champion, Sinem Savaşer, also a member of Bilkent’s swim team, won her second title in succession. In addition to highlighting the positive change in gender distribution compared to the previous edition of the event, she urged students to visit the swimming pool more often, saying that it was “built for us, and we should enjoy it.”
Hüseyin Onur Aydemir, the event coordinator, summed it all up by stating that the atmosphere was positive and he believes that participation will grow for the next festival. Mr. Aydemir also noted that 4x50m freestyle relay competitions will be added to the program for that event.