2016 North West Open Water Regional Championships
On Saturday 25th June Winsford Swim Team took 12 swimmers to race in the annual NW Regional Open Water championships at Salford Quays, this event also doubled up as the Cheshire County Championships. The racing was over a range of distances from the 1500m for the 12-14 years, 3000m for the 15-16 years and 5000m for the 17 Over years. Winsford must have been one of the largest clubs represented at the Championships in the whole of the North of England. Open water is not for everyone but it appears our club take to it very well and enjoy the thrill of racing in a lake or a quay.
The results over the day were truly magnificent with every single swimmer stepping up and performing fantastically well, even more so because for 2/3rds of the team this was their first outing at racing in open water and this fact did not phase us at all, always maintaining a fearless can do attitude. Winsford Swim Team achieved 10 North West Regional Medals: 5 GOLD, 3 SILVER, 1 BRONZE and 11 Cheshire County Medals: 8 GOLD, 3 SILVER.
The results were as follows:
1500m Girls
12 years: Lottie Howman: 1st Cheshire, 1st North West
13 Years: Abbie Christopherson: 1st Cheshire, 1st North West
14 Years: Alissa Blackshaw: 1st Cheshire, 1st North West
Abbey Brown: 2nd Cheshire, 2nd North West
1500m Boys
12 Years: Rory Armitt: 1st Cheshire, 1st North West
Oscar Jolliffe: 2nd Cheshire, 2nd North West
14 Years: Henry Oliver: 1st Cheshire, 2nd North West
Finn Armitt: 2nd Cheshire, 4th North West
James Adamson: 4th Cheshire, 7th North West
3000m Boys
15 Years: Alex Moss: 1st Cheshire, 3rd North West
5000m Girls
17-18 Years: Kate Young: 1st Cheshire, 3rd North West
19 Over: Becky Alderman: 1st Cheshire, 1st North West
The top 3 in each age in each region gain qualification into the National Open Water Championships in Sheffield, Rother Valley. As soon as all National Open Water qualifiers have been contacted a full list will be published but by my reckoning we should have 10 going to Rother Valley in July for the ASA National Age Group Open Water Championships.
A fantastic day for all those swimmers who attended, superb results, superb racing and superb attitude and all enjoyed the day and gained so much from the experience. Life is short and a swim career is even shorter, always take an opportunity when it comes along. Open water is a chance to try something new, something a little bit different and most of all try something exciting, we all loved it. I know many more swimmers from our club will take up the opportunity to race next year in Salford,
Thanks Dan.
Thanks Dan.
