Thousands of hopeful swimmers were left disappointed after being mistakenly told they had secured a spot in one of WA’s most iconic events.
About 7000 people who entered the ballot were incorrectly emailed on Monday and told that they had been successful, with the messages opening with: “Congratulations.”
But the excitement was short-lived, with a second email sent on Monday night informing participants of the ballot error and asking them to disregard the earlier message.
It was not until midday on Tuesday that swimmers finally learnt whether they had secured a spot, with hundreds left disappointed after being placed on the waitlist.
Perth swimmer Matthew Zagni told PerthNow that the mistake was particularly disappointing because he had been thrilled to secure a place and had already started planning his training schedule around the event.
“When I saw the first email, I was so excited and relieved that I’d got a spot and started to schedule my training swims, which made it much more disappointing when I learnt that I am actually waitlisted. I’m devastated,” he said.
Busselton Jetty Swim president Di Bruce apologised for the error in the second email, saying organisers understood how disappointing the situation would be for hopeful participants.
“We understand how much the Jetty Swim means to people and how disappointing and confusing it must have been to receive the email yesterday informing them that they were in, only to discover that the result was incorrect,” she said.
“We’re genuinely sorry.”
Ms Bruce said organisers were urgently investigating the cause of the failure and working to verify the correct ballot results.
Swimmers who missed out on a place in the 2027 Busselton Jetty Swim can remain on the waitlist in case a spot becomes available or withdraw before February 4, 2027, to secure guaranteed entry in the same distance for the 2028 event.
The Busselton Jetty Swim is one of WA’s best-known open-water swimming events, attracting thousands of participants to the South West each February.
Its signature event is a 3.6km swim around the iconic Busselton Jetty, with shorter distances and team events also available.
First held in 1996 with just 82 swimmers, the event has grown to attract more than 5000 participants each year.