Pitts lands national time in Portsmouth

Event: Portsmouth Northsea Level 1 Open Meet Venue: Mountbatten Leisure Centre, Portsmouth Date: 12th and 13th January 2013

The Portsmouth Northsea Level 1 Open Meet took place last weekend which for Dolphin’s top performers was the first major long course competition of the season.  Girls’ club captain Charlotte Pitts led by example, setting her first national qualifying time of the season in the 400m freestyle.

National qualifying time for Charlotte Pitts

 With all regional and national qualifying times (NQT) for youth (15 years and over) swimmers now set as long course, this would be one of the few opportunities in the competition calendar to achieve these goals.  Most Dolphin competitors at the meet had already booked their place at the Regional Championships and were therefore looking to improve on existing times, achieve times in other events or as Pitts had done, achieve the ultimate goal of a place at the national finals in the summer.

James Clark came close to adding the 100m and 200m breaststroke to his 50m freestyle NQT, with impressive swims of 1:08.97 and 2:31.72 respectively.  Still creeping towards achieving their first ever NQT were Lauren Matthews and Georgina Pitts while Rebecca Flack took ten seconds off her previous best in the 200m breaststroke to not only net her first regional qualifying time of the season but also take her a significant step closer towards her first individual nationals appearance.

There were 28 swims under the regional qualifying times including 19 improvements in existing times, with Samantha Berry and Adam Coleman both adding events to their existing portfolios.  A total of 43 long course personal best swims included five from an impressive looking Coleman and three from Charlotte Gardo who has started to find her form having struggled to do so this season.

Top medallist over the weekend was Charlotte Pitts with three gold and one bronze.  Other medallists were Georgina Pitts (2 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze), James Clark (2 gold, 1 silver), Rebecca Flack (2 gold), Lauren Matthews (3 silver, 1 bronze), Charlotte Gardo (1 silver, 1 bronze), Mathew Sambrook (1 silver), Samantha Berry (1 silver), Jon Audis (1 bronze).