Last weekend saw the English Winter Nationals at Ponds Forge International Sports Centre in Sheffield. The Championships are an open-age competition in which some of the top swimmers in the country compete. This weekend saw a new British Record set by Team GB’s Matt Richards in 100m freestyle.
14-year-old Emma Price of Sedgefield 75 Swimming Club met the tough qualifying times in four events. In her first event, she lined up in the final heat of the 800m freestyle alongside Freya Colbert, medallist at this years Commonwealth Games and European Championships. She was not over-awed, however, as she produced a 5-second PB of 8:49 to finish in seventh place out of 54 of the country’s best 800m swimmers narrowly missing out on a junior medal but securing the number one British ranking for the fastest 14-year-old girl.
She notched another 5-second PB in 400m individual medley, significantly improving her national ranking and then qualified comfortably for the 400m freestyle junior final with a time right on her PB. In the final, she swam 2 seconds faster and finished 5th. 200m freestyle brought another 2-second PB and placed 28th out of 82.
On the same weekend, the club attended the Derwentside Christmas Cracker Meet, held at the Louisa Centre in Stanley with six swimmers, in a bid for PB’s, medals and chocolate as the host club award a selection box to the winner of each heat.
Jessica Bell swam in 7 events, setting 2 PB’s, and taking home 6 medals. Gold in 50m breaststroke and butterfly and silvers in 50 backstroke and 100m back, breast and butterfly.
Zoe Hodgson took on 9 events and set new bests in 7 of them. She set a 13-second PB in 200 breaststroke, taking bronze and over 6 seconds in 200m individual medley.
Niamh Renton followed up her first competition last month with another 50m backstroke medal, this time silver and a PB of over 1 second.
Evie Weston set 3 new PB’s out of 4, the best being 3 seconds in 100m breaststroke and 4 seconds at 200 IM. She also took a silver and a bronze medal.
Charlotte Lee swam in 4 events and set a cracking new PB in 100m breaststroke.
Charlie McEwan swam 50m backstroke, butterfly and freestyle, winning bronze in the fly.