The Killerwhales sent a strong
team to the City of Oxford’s Licence Open Meet last weekend,
with Kirsty Forbes the star of the meet with five gold’s amongst
her 11 medals out of 11 races.
Kirsty showed that not only is she
a very classy swimmer, but that she has the guts and
determination to compete in a multitude of events and distances
in one weekend.
The
one outstanding race was in the 50 Skins, where Kirsty was
ranked 14th fastest but made the final as 4th
fastest. With three swimmers removed after the first round and
then one after that in each round this was a race to watch.
Kirsty swam a PB in the first round to qualify and then went
from strength to strength. In the final race off and cheered by
all her team mates Kirsty went on to swim another PB to take
Gold and a cash prize. Kirsty carried on improving as the
weekend went on, in the 200 fly, ranked 8th Kirsty
went on to win, amazing her team mates and family with an
outstanding gutsy swim.
With Gold in
the 100 I/M, 200 I/M and 200 free these distance events were no
problem with silver in the 50 back and medals in the 100 free
and 200 Breast it was a joy to watch such a talented and
swimmer.
Stephen
Dawkins in the 17/18 age group nearly matched Kirsty’s gold
medal haul with four. In the 200 Back, Breast, I/M and 100 Back
Stephen keeps on proving that you do not have to be a winner in
your early years, to reap the rewards later on in your career.
Stephen looked a different class in the 200 Breast and Back and
these strengths brought Stephen through in the 200I/M. With
silver in the 100 I/M and medals in the 100 free and 100 Breast
this was another great show the Whales.
Daniel Hime
in the 15/16 age group is following the example set by Stephen,
by getting on with the training and then reaping the rewards.
Daniel is just going from strength to strength with his 200 fly
just an amazing race
to watch. Ranked 8th fastest
Daniel went off like a bomb, we were all waiting for Daniel to
fade, as we all thought he had gone off too fast, but Daniel
just kept going, pulling away from the opposition with a win by
15 metres.
Daniel made
it a hat-trick of medals in Gold, Silver and two Bronze, not bad
9 out of 9. With gold in the 100 Breast, I/M and Fly , silver in
the 50 Fly, 200 Free and I/M and then bronze in the 50 Breast,
100 Fly this was a great weekend for this ever improving young
man.
Christina
Leader in the 15/16 age group took double gold in the 100 and
200 Breast, no surprises there as Christina looked comfortable
all the way. Christina then went on to take silver in the 50
Breast, 100 and 200 I/M proving what an all rounder Christina is
becoming. In the same age group Laura Andrews showed she is
getting back to top form with a bronze in the 100 fly, Laura
looked comfortable all the way to record her first pb in this
event for two years. With a bronze also in the 200 and 50 fly,
Laura is getting back to the classy lady she is. Also in this
age group the Whales showed what strength in depth they have in
Breaststroke with Janine Rayner taking 3rd in the 50
and 6th in the 100 and Alice Scott taking 6th
in the 50 also.
Breaststroke
seems to be the number one in the Whales at this moment as Jodie
Momodu took gold in the 200 Breast with an amazing 13 second
personal best. Jodie could hardly get out of the water after the
effort put in, but is was a truly amazing swim for a ten year
old with a time of three minutes thirteen seconds. With gold in
the 50 as well and team mate Molly Scott making the medal
rostrum as well it could be a good year for the Whales in 2005.
In the 13/14
age group Henny Andrews is another Breaststroke swimmer going
great guns, with bronze in the 50 and 100 and a 6th
in the 100 I/M. Henny just keeps amazing everyone on the
continued improvement, it’s great to see and watch Henny race.
David Haynes
in the 15/16 age group is now starting to get the strength to
race against the “big” men, with very impressive silver in the
very demanding 200 Fly, well done David.
In the 17/18
women’s age group Katie Hegman and Julia Braybrooke showed their
younger team mates that the Whales can still compete at the
older age group. Julia made two bronze places in the 100 and
200 Breast and picked up medals in three other events to show
that you do improve as you get older. Katie took silver in the
100 fly and 200 I/M, battling all the way and then went on to
make the medal podium in the 50 and 200 fly, good to see girls.
It was a great
weekend of swimming to end 2004 and it will only get better in
2005, carry on the Whales and a Merry Christmas and a Happy New
Year to all swimmers in Havering. |