Swindon Go West

Event:  ASA South West Regional Championships 2009 Venue:  Hutton Moor, Weston-super-Mare Date:  7th & 8th November 2009

Seventeen of Swindon’s Swim Squads top swimmers were at Hutton Moor, Weston-super-Mare last weekend competing at the ASA South West Regional Championships (25m) 2009.

As expected, the majority of swims were well within next year’s regional BAGCAT and youth qualifying standards, with the major target being 2010 national qualifying times (NQT).

First to hit the mark was Liam Herbert in the 100m backstroke, dipping under the minute mark for the first time in 59.84 seconds.  Herbert also went on to record 2:09.69 in the 200m event, again within his NQT and also picking up a silver medal. Joe Kerslake performed well in the backstroke events, just missing out on his first NQT of the season but gaining well deserved silver and bronze medals in the 50m and 100m backstroke.

The Sunday afternoon finals session saw some tremendous swims and a quality line up from all Western Region clubs.  Plymouth Leander’s Christian-Paul Homer of Trinidad swam a superb 200m butterfly to set a new home country national record and Achieng Ajulu-Bushell of Kenya also set a new All African Nations mark and the second fastest 50m breaststroke time in the world this year.  Subsequent events saw Swindon’s Jon Audis and Elizabeth Beckett line up against the two record holders in the 50m backstroke and 200m breaststroke respectively.  An undaunted Audis characteristically worked every aspect of his swim and his superior finishing skills on the day saw him touch out Homer on the finish to take the title.  Beckett, having narrowly missed out on winning her heat swim to Bushell and finishing 4th in the 50m breaststroke was out for victory in the 200m final.  Finding herself several metres behind at the 100m mark, Beckett kept her cool and with a superbly paced swim clawed her way back to take the title and a new NQT.

Jon Audis ~ 50m and 100m Backstroke Champion

Elizabeth Beckett ~ 200m Breaststroke Champion

Samantha Berry’s national finals campaign kicked off early with a new NQT and Junior Championship title in the 200m freestyle.  Silver medals in the 400m freestyle and 200m butterfly also signify that the 13 year old should have more national events to come.

Other podium finishes over the weekend went to Louise Maynard (3rd 50m breaststroke) and James Clark (2nd 400m individual medley) which put Swindon an extremely creditable 4th place in the overall medal table.