A small team of 9 Holywell swimmers travelled down to Swansea to compete in the Welsh Summer Championships held at the Welsh National pool Swansea. 13 Finals and 2 Bronze medals and 22 PBs
As a coach it was great to see swimmers remain at the pool or come back to the pool to cheer their team mates on in the finals, nice to see team support for those who swam well or a comforting arm for those who didn’t do as well as expected.
At this level experience is important, the nerves are more under control, the more a swimmer competes at the higher level the better they are and they can help the swimmers competing at Nationals for the first time.
Great to see Medi Harris who won Bronze at the Commonwealth games in the 100 Backstroke spending time to meet some of our swimmers and sign swimming items and have a few photos.
ALL our swimmers did as well as could be expected, taking into everything into account they did very well, loss of hours through exams, illness, injury, holidays, a reduction in swim hours and land training all contribute to the end result.
THE TEAM:- Tomas Clarke ( 3 Finals for Tomas in the Backstroke events, Tomas swam really well all week especially in the 50m BK coming 4th, 100m BK coming 5th, and making the 200m Backstroke final – 4 PBs), Sian Evans (2 Finals , Sian had an up and down meet, elated to win bronze in the 50m Free only to be DQd for a slight movement on the block, still, a great swim, Sian was 6th in the 50m Backstroke and 2nd reserve in the 100 FC – 2 PBs). Poppy Johnson, ( 50m and 100m Breaststroke, Poppy’s first Nationals went really well with her setting 2 Long course PBs). Milly Jones ( Milly had a solid meet, a total of 8 races making 1 final in the 50m Backstroke coming 5th, setting 3 PBs from her 8 swims and swimming close to her Easter national times for the rest of her swims – 3 PBs ). Jay Jones ( Jay had a difficult run up to the meet, only having verification on his entry’s a week before the meet, Jay also missed out important parts of his training, Jay swam the 50m and 100m Breaststroke Jay swam well but not to his usual standards. Luca Owen ( another swimmer making his Nationals debut, Luca swam in the 50m & 100m Breaststroke events and had 2 good swims setting PBs in both, a DQ in the 100 Brs for a basic error frustrated Luca, lesson learned). Jean-Luc Lovell-Pascal ( Having swam at the British Summer Championships earlier in the 50m – 100m and 200 m Breaststroke events, Jean-Luc was not eligible to swim these events at the Welsh Summers, Jean Luc did really well making finals in the 200IM coming 6th the 100 Fly coming 7th and setting a PB in the 200 BK making 2nd reserve for the final. Jean-Luc finished off the week with a great swim in the 400IM with a PB and taking Bronze – 4 PBs). Elinor Rich ( Elinor qualified for several events but was scratched from all but 1 race the 100m Breaststroke, Elinor took up the challenge and travelled down for the race, the first 50m saw Elinor turn in 1st place and looking good for a great swim, still recovering from long Covid Elinor found the last 30m hard and dropped off the pace, Elinor didn’t give up and raced to the very end showing determination) Georgia Wade-Jones (A very good meet for Georgia in many ways, i believe this was a meet Georgia believed in herself, 4 Finals, 3 PBs and 3 Finals in the Backstroke events, winning Bronze in the 50m, 4th in the 100m BK and 4th in the 200m BK. a further 2 PBs in the 50 Fly prelim and again in the Final – 5 PBs.
Shout out to our parents who helped out officiating at the meet. Mandy Jones, Mags Pascal, Karen Evans, Phil Lovell, Zoe Jones and Lorna Clarke.
