Top swimmers from all over Britain descended on the Ponds Forge International Centre, Sheffield, including Fins’ swimmer Erin Taylor, for the British Summer Swimming Championships which ran from 22 to 28 July 2023.

 

Erin qualified for three events and had a good week achieving two PBs, one a Fins’ Club record, one final, and one reserve place for a final. However, changes from last year’s Championships  made it more difficult for Erin, with regard to finals and medals,

 

In last year’s Championships the 18 years Women was a single age category, with the top category being 19 and over. However, this year the top category was changed to  18 and over for Women, which made a big difference to Erin.

 

Erins top swim was her 200m Breaststroke in which she qualified for the evening finals, finishing in 6th. place. Her time of 2 minutes 34.01 seconds was a new Fins’ club record reducing her own record by 1.22 seconds. Erin was 3rd – 18 year old in the event. She was also 2nd Scot finishing 0.51 seconds behind 22 year old Ailsa McDonald of Edinburgh University.

 

In the 400m individual medley Erin finished as 2nd reserve for the final and recorded a 2.26 second PB, which was just 0.74 seconds short of a Fins’ record. Erin was 7th – 18 year old in the event and was 2nd Scot, again behind Ailsa McDonald

 

In her 100m Breaststroke Erin was just over a second outside her PB and finished in 18th place, 4th – 18 year old, and 1st Scot.

 

As this was a major British event the rankings were updated each day. The rankings are published in single years up to the age of 18. Once a swimmer reaches the year of their 19th birthday they only appear in the Open category, for each event.

 

Following the British Summer Swimming Championships Erin’s long course rankings are:

200m breaststroke, 2nd – Scotland, 6th – GB, 18 years, 5th – Scottish Open rankings.

100m breaststroke, 2nd – Scotland, 6th – GB, 18 years, 9th – Scottish Open rankings.

400m individual medley, 3rd – Scotland, 11th – GB, 18 years, 11th – Scottish Open Rankings

 

Interestingly Erin beat the top ranked 18 year old Scot in all three events in Sheffield.

 

Ken White

Club Press Officer