British Championships 2010
Preston Swimming Club was well represented at the British Gas Swimming Championships with three Club based swimmers and six Preston swimmers, currently training at Gallica, competing for national honours and a place in the national squad.
This year saw the Championships sell out the Sheffield venue as the sport has taken on a new found popularity - crowds flocked in to see world class swimmers like double Olympic Champion Rebecca Adlington and World Champion Liam Tancock compete.
The Championships is an open-age group competition which this year combined as a qualifying event for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi and the European Championships in Budapest, being staged later this year.
At just 12 years of age, Shauntelle Austin showed her big event experience as she thundered out an amazing personal best time of 2.25.10 in the 200m butterfly to come 30th overall in the country.
Brother Cameron Austin, 14, also demonstrated his strength as he competed in the 200m butterfly putting in a time of 2.11.39 to come 33rd overall.
Both the Austins are very much at the younger end of competitors in open competitions and have the time, and the ability, to move up through the rankings.
In the multi-disability category, Preston star Jack Bridge is going from strength to strength.
He delivered personnel best times as he took a bronze medal in the 200m individual medley, in a time of 2.29.48, was fourth in the 100m breaststroke, fifth in the 100m butterfly, 11th in the 50m freestyle and 12th in both the 100m and 400m freestyle.
Bridge is truly setting himself up for international competition and will have an eye on 2012 and the Paralympic Games in London.
Preston head coach Steve Heaps said “All our swimmers have performed very well indeed under intense pressure.
This was competition swimming at its highest in our country.
There is an awful lot to deal with and these athletes have to learn how to fill their time without wasting any energy.
Hopefully these results will inspire others in the club to achieve the qualifying times for next year.”
Preston were also well represented by swimmers who train with Gallica.
They had a successful time to again underline the strength of swimming in Lancashire.
Stephanie Slater took a silver medal in the 50m breaststroke, was seventh in the 100m breaststroke and 23rd in the 200m breaststroke,
Ryan Bennett grabbed a bronze in the 100m backstroke and was ninth in the 200m freestyle, while Daniel Sliwinski was fifth in the 100m breaststroke and sixth in the 200m breaststroke.
Georgia Barton was 14th in the 400m individual medley, Jessica Chadwick was 22nd in the 50m breaststroke and 24th in both the 100m and 200m breaststroke and Katie Mawdsley was 40th in the 400m freestyle.
Heaps added: “Our swimmers in the Gallica programme showed they really can mix it with the best with some exceptional performances and my congratulations go to them and coach Louise Robinson.”
Myles Kitcher
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