Swimming: London Winter Championships in Bexleyheath
Published: 18 November, 2010
by STEVE BARNETT
SPEEDSTER Leo Jaggs scooped triple gold at the weekend as Camden Swiss Cottage Swimming Club competed in the London Winter Championships in Bexleyheath.
A team of 34 swimmers turned out for the two-day competition, an ideal opportunity for them to gauge their current fitness levels and identify areas for improvement ahead of the coming season.
Competing in the 16 years and under age group, Jaggs put in a stunning series of swims to win gold in the 100m and 200m freestyle and the 100m backstroke, in which he beat his previous personal best by 2.5 seconds.
The 16-year-old also picked up silver medals in the 50m freestyle and the open age group 200m freestyle.
Other gold medals came from Devon Robins, 17, in the open 400m freestyle and Harry Needs, 18, in the open 100m butterfly.
Overall Camden collected 12 medals and an impressive 23 personal best times. Rosie Hughes, 15, won a silver and a bronze from her respective 100m and 200m backstroke events. She also took bronze in the open age group 100m backstroke.
Felix Samuels, 17, picked up a silver in the open 50m freestyle in a short-course personal best of 24.12 secs, while Sarah Taylor-Reid, 15, won bronze in the 16 years and under 100m breaststroke.
Highlighting the great strength in depth at the club, Camden’s masters squad returned home from the National Short-Course Championships with 27 individual medals and two European records. Held at Ponds Forge in Sheffield, the women’s 4x200m relay team of Vicky Linton-Crook, Nari Lawrey, Nuala Muir-Cochrane and Susan Maclean touched home in 9.43.26 to take gold and set a new European record.
The amazing feat was matched by the 4x100m mixed medley relay team of Linton-Crook, Jason Williams, Peter Weidling and Muir-Cochrane, who clocked a time of 4.43.64 to recored another European record.
Another highlight saw the women’s 4x50 medley team of Anna Fenton, Kyla Steenhart, Samantha Effemey and Susan Maclean grab another team gold.
In the individual ranks Camden scooped 12 golds, six silvers and nine bronze medals.
Competing in the 45-49 years age group, Linton-Crook won golds in the 100m and 200m backstroke and the 800m freestyle.
Susan Halter went one better in the 80-84 years category with golds in the 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke and the 50m freestyle.
Kyla Steenhart won golds in the 100m and 200m breaststroke in the 30-34 years age group. Neal Taylor, Chris Hopton and Anna Fenton also all won golds.
Podium places were also won by Andrew Young, Karen Bellas, Susan Maclean, Elizabeth Braimbridge, Peter Weidling and Matt Molloy.