By Mr Castro (Head of Swimming)

Photo – Front row – Eva, Izzy, Enya, Phoebe and Charlie

Back row – Megan, Lucy, Eloise and Liv

It's been a busy few weeks for our swimmers. The County Swimming Championships have been taking place since 21st January 2023. The championships cover a full program of events for swimmers to compete in, ranging from the long-distance events 1500m and 800m freestyle right down to the fastest event, the 50 freestyle. The other strokes race over 200m, 100m and 50m, with 200m and 400m medleys as well as freestyle relays, medley relays and mixed relays.

Across the county we had 12 swimmers racing over 100 events; between them they won almost 90 medals. Our swimmers were Izzy Morris (Year 5), Eva Jackson (Year 6), Enya Belcher (Year 7), Liv James (Year 7), Megan Barnicoat (Year 7), Holly Katasi (Year 8), Charlie Duce (Year 9), Tabitha Frame (Year 10), Phoebe Titchener (Year 10), Eloise Cole (Year 10), Lucy Young (Year 12) and Eleni Zorn (Year 12). All of the girls represented their own swimming clubs; Flitwick SC, Biggleswade SC, Linslade Crusaders SC, Putteridge SC and Modernian SC.

Many students achieved qualifying times for the Regional Championships, which will be held later in the spring. In the Bedfordshire ASA Age Group awards, which go up to 14 years, Eva Jackson achieved the highest FINA points for her swim in the in the 11-year-old age group, meaning out of all of the races swum by 11-year-old girls across all strokes, Eva was the closest to a world record time. In the same competition for 12-year-olds Megan Barnicoat was second, and in the 14-year-olds Charlie Duce was third.

In the Senior Girls Championships, Lucy Young won 2 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze medal, and Eloise Cole won 6 Junior Championship (U16) gold medals and 6 Senior Championship gold medals. Eloise also set new Junior and Senior County records in the 100m butterfly and 100m backstroke and a Junior County record in the 50m butterfly.

Both Lucy and Eloise have been selected to represent the East Region at the ESSA National Inter-Divisional Championships in March and are now looking forward to this competition. Eloise has also been selected for the next stage of the Swim England National Development Programme.

In other swimming news…

PS - our very own Mr Castro also competed in the County Swimming Championships, he won a silver in the mixed 4x50m medley relay with Eloise Cole and Lucy Young, a bronze in the men’s 4x50m medley relay and a silver in the 4x100m men’s medley. Many congratulations Mr Castro you are an inspirational role model to our aspiring swimmers.