Enter the Dragon

Event:  British Gas Swim Wales New Year Dragon Open Meet Venue:  Wales National Pool, Swansea Date:  8th, 9th & 10th January 2010

In what is becoming a familiar venue for Swindon Dolphin, a squad of 16 travelled to the Wales National Pool in Swansea last weekend for the three day British Gas Swim Wales New Year Dragon Open Meet.

With the meet one of the first to be held under the new FINA swimwear rules, it was time for some swimmers to find out if the suits really had been giving them “the edge”.  First to answer this was Jon Audis who, on the first morning of competition, swam a comfortable looking 200m backstroke in a new club record time of 2:11.55 and picked up a bronze medal in the final.  On the Saturday, Audis went on to record his first national time of the season in the 50m backstroke and then added to his tally in the 100m event on the Sunday collecting bronze and silver medals in the event finals.

Also making an impression on the first day of competition were BAGCATs Georgina Pitts and Victoria Tainty, both of whom won gold medals in the 100m freestyle and 200m butterfly respectively with Pitts also securing her first regional time of the season.  The 11 year olds also took other medal places; Pitts a gold in the 200m individual medley and Tainty gold in the 50m freestyle and silver in the 200m freestyle.

James Clark inched ever closer towards regaining a place on the national stage coming within a few percent of the mark in the 200m and 400m individual medley and 100m and 200m breaststroke, picking up a gold, silver and bronze medals along the way.  Other swimmers knocking on the door of Ponds Forge include Joe Kerslake in the 100m and 200m backstroke and Charlotte Pitts in the 200m, 400m and 800m freestyle.

Liam Herbert enjoyed mixed fortunes over the weekend, and despite not hitting personal best times in his more favoured events, pulled out all the stops in Sunday’s 200m individual medley final, dropping two seconds off his heat time and convincingly winning gold in a time of 2:18.04.

With 14 of the swimmers reaching finals, there was always plenty for the team to cheer about in the evening sessions.  Other notable finalists included Jack Janicki, who also achieved his first 2010 regional qualifying times, and Charlotte Gardo who showed some huge improvements in her breaststroke swims and just missed out on a bronze medal.

Dolphin Chief Coach Louise Clayton commented  “This was a very successful meet for our swimmers and achieved the aim of giving the majority of the squad exposure to second swims in the evening finals.  This experience will be something they can draw on during the rest of the season.”

Full results are available on the Competition Page.