Swimming – Camden Swiss Cottage go for gold at National finals

Published: 29 July, 2010
by STEVE BARNETT

SPEEDSTERS from Camden Swiss Cottage Swimming Club will be looking to make a splash over the next 10 days when they compete in their biggest competition of the season.

A team of 29 swimmers will make their way to the Ponds Forge Sports Centre in Sheffield to take part in the National Age Group Championships and the National Youth Championships.

The squad, which includes seven relay teams, will be taking on the best swimmers from across the country as they go for gold in a total of 81 events.

The club ignited their quest for medals yesterday (Wednesday) when the heats in the 11-year-old category of the Age Group finals got underway.

In an action-packed opening day, Emily House lined up in the 100m freestyle and the 200m medley, while Robert Dos Santos took to the water in the 100m backstroke and the 200m breaststroke.

Under the watchful eye of coach Mark Allen, Floris Kotterink also competed in the boys’ 100m backstroke and Kelly Hookway swam in the 100m freestyle in the 13-year-old age group. 

In the team events Tudor Puszet, Alex Peake, Billy Bradley and Jesse Matthews joined forces for the boys’ 14 and under 4x100m freestyle relay.

Director of swimming Dave Hobbs, who has been with Camden Swiss Cottage for more than 26 years, said: “We’re sending a strong team so we’re confident that we will compete for medals against the best swimmers in the country. Just to reach these finals, let alone win a medal, you have to be an exceptional swimmer competing at the highest of levels.

“It’s important that having made it this far that they enjoy the experience.”

For Camden Swiss Cottage the success of producing such a high turn-out at the National finals is the perfect reward for the club’s development programme.

There are more than 4,100 members on the books – including 1,600 who take part in the learn-to-swim lessons – 150 master swimmers and 400 youngsters who regularly compete.

Dave Hobbs added: “It’s not just about competing at the highest of levels, it’s about offering our members a structured, healthy, programme.

“It is a roots-to-branches process. We take adults and children who can swim a few strokes or are just learning to swim and we make them fall in love with the sport.”