Six Sedgefield 75 swimmers returned to the Billingham Forum pool last weekend for a competition, this time hosted by the Borough of Stockton Swim Scheme. Named the Winter Swimming Festival and was touted as the last chance to achieve qualifying times for the coming regional championships to be held in Sheffield.
It was a tough competition with almost all the North East’s top clubs taking part. The action started on Friday evening with Emma Price slashing over seven seconds from her 400m freestyle personal best winning gold by over six seconds and breaking 600 FINA ranking points for the first time in the process.
Saturday morning and Emma took silver in 200m freestyle, then Tom Curran and Filip Wilczynski swam 50m butterfly, Filip taking silver. Charlotte Lee swam 100m breaststroke before Filip & Tom completed 100m backstroke, this time Filip going one better taking gold and Tom improving his best time by more than a second. Last swim of the morning was Emma again with a PB and bronze in 100m individual medley.
On to Saturday afternoon and Charlotte was right on her PB in 50m freestyle before Oliver Turnbull set a new 50m breaststroke best. Emma then took back-to-back 4th positions in 200m backstroke and 100m butterfly before Tom and Oliver rounded off the day with good 100m freestyle swims.
Back to the pool on Sunday morning and Tom and Filip started things off with 50m backstroke, another PB for Tom and another gold for Filip. Emma took her second gold with another big PB in 200m breaststroke and followed that up with another PB in 100m backstroke. Oliver and Filip swam the 100m individual medley next, both setting big PB’s and another silver for Filip.
In the last session, Emma completed the gruelling 400m individual medley with a huge 6 seconds PB earning a silver medal. Charlie McEwan then joined for 50m freestyle, also swimming that were Oliver and Tom, all 3 setting quick times. Charlotte then swam a PB in 50m breaststroke. Filip rounded off the competition with a PB and gold in 200m backstroke and silver in 100m butterfly.
All swimmers again supported each other, had a great time and were a credit to the club. The next competition for the club is the first championship competition since Covid the North East region short course championships being held at the international swimming venue Ponds Forge in Sheffield, 4 swimmers having gained some qualifying times.