Kyle Lee to compete in the South West for the first time since Paris Olympics in Open Water Swimming Series

South West product Kyle Lee will compete in the region for the first time since making his Olympic debut when the Open Water Swimming Series comes to Bunbury this weekend. Lee, who finished 13th in the 10km open water race in Paris earlier this year, will be one of hundreds of competitors who will take to the water in Koombana Bay on Saturday morning to compete. The Australind-raised star made a blistering start to the series in the first event at Leighton Beach two weeks ago, winning the 7.5km Western Australian Championships title by more than 3min. in a time of 1hr. 33min. 1sec. Speaking after his first race, Lee said he was looking forward to getting to the South West. “There’ll be a few more boys racing as well, so it’ll be awesome to have a big field,” he said. No 7.5km race will be swum in Bunbury, but the event will host the 5km Western Australian Championships, as well as staging 2.5km, one kilometre and 500m races. The series consists of nine events held around the State, including one which will take place in Busselton next year. Swimming WA chief executive Emily Randall said the organisation was delighted to bring the series to the South West. “It’s a great chance for participants of all ages and abilities to challenge themselves in this beautiful location,” she said. Registrations will remain open until the first race of the day starts, with competitors needing to be at least nine years old.