King’s Lynn swimmers compete at winter Nationals at Pond’s Forge in Sheffield
West Norfolk had several swimmers competing in the Swim England National Winter Championships took place at Ponds Forge International Sports Centre in Sheffield.
The club were represented by Millie Harris, Nathan Wells, Sarah O’Brien, Freddie Laws, Molly Lee and Finlay Ryan all made the journey north, whilst Tobias Oglebsy who had also qualified, was sadly unable to compete due to ill health.
Wells kicked off proceedings on Thursday morning with a season’s best time of two minutes and 2.28 seconds in the 200m IM, a time which put him through to the evening’s senior final.
O’Brien was next up, swimming an excellent 200m breaststroke in a new personal best time of 2:36.75, before Wells was back in the water for the 100m backstroke - where a new PB led to him sealing a spot in the Open Final.
The morning’s heats were concluded with Harris swimming a PB of 28.96 seconds in the 50m butterfly.
That evening, Wells bettered his heats swim by more than a second to set a new PB, Norfolk County record and place first amongst the swimmers in the senior final.
In the Open Final of the 100m backstroke, a swim of 55.56 seconds saw him finish within half a second of his PB.
Wells’ gruelling programme offered little rest, being the first West Norfolk swimmer in action on Friday’s second day of competition - setting a season’s best time of 4 minutes 28.37 seconds in the 400m IM
Finlay Ryan and Freddie Laws both contested the 50m breaststroke, and both swam excellent races to score PBs
There were three more swims for the Purple Army on the Saturday.
Laws began with another PB in the 100m breaststroke, before Molly Lee swam a season’s best 33.44 seconds in the 50m breaststroke.
Wells swam his third PB with a time of 2 minutes 0.99 seconds in the 200m backstroke, again receiving a senior final spot and a second swim for his efforts.
He shaved a further 0.15 seconds off his time, again setting a Norfolk record and finishing first among the swimmers in the Senior Final.
Sarah O’Brien opened West Norfolk’s account with a PB on the fourth and final day - swimming a one minute 11.97 second 100m breaststroke.
A solid swim from Laws in the 200m breaststroke was enough to earn him a place in the Senior Final - the same prize Wells earned shortly afterwards following a PB and county record in the 50m backstroke.
West Norfolk’s final heats swim saw Wells qualify for his second Open Final with a season’s best time in the 100m IM
That evening, Laws capitalised on his chance to swim again, by smashing his PB for the 200 breaststroke with a swim of two minutes 13.41 seconds to place second of those in the Senior Final.
Wells’ swim in the 50m backstroke was almost as fruitful, swimming what would have been a PB, if it wasn’t for the new marker post he had set himself that morning.
The 100IM open final was Wells’, and West Norfolk’s, final swim of the championships. A solid swim of 57.32 seconds saw him finish just shy of the season’s best time he set in the heats.
