Fins’ swimmers got 2023 off to an excellent start at the first major meet of the year.
Eleven swimmers were at the Royal Commonwealth Pool, Edinburgh, competing in the second round of Scottish East District Age Group Championships. The Competition included 50m and 200m in each of the four individual strokes and was a long course event.
Eleven Fins’ swimmers competed and gained four District titles, five silver and two bronze medals and a further eighteen top 10 placings. Overall, the swimmers contested 41 swims resulting in 39 PBs, which is a massive improvement rate of 95%.
Although she did not win a District Title, the top performance came from Erin Taylor, 17 and over girls, who won a silver medal in the 200m breaststroke and a bronze medal in the 50m breaststroke. In both events she was beaten by swimmers 20 years or over from Edinburgh University Swim Team. The significance of her performance was that she got her year off as she finished 2022 by setting another two club records. Erin’s silver came in the 200m event and her time of 2 minutes 35.23 seconds beat he own previous record, set at the Scottish National Age Group Championships in March 2022, by 1.20 seconds. This maintains her 2nd place, 18 years girls, Scottish rankings, but closes the gap on Nula Gow, of Garioch, to just 0.77 seconds. Erin’s 50m event time was 34.00 seconds and again this improved on her own club record by 0.44 seconds.
As Erin had not swum a long course 50m Breaststroke in the past 12 months, her entry time for the event was based on her short course time and as a result Erin did not feature in the Scottish Long Course Rankings. However, her time recorded on Sunday will put her in 3rd place in the 18 years girls category, just three one hundredths of a second behind 2nd place Anglo-Scot Naomi McGuire of City of Leicester, and 0.67 seconds behind top ranked swimmer Kiera Davidson, City of Glasgow.
In terms of achievement, three swimmers won four District Titles.
Irys Blair, 13 years girls, won two titles – the 200m backstroke with a 12.23 second PB Which, depending on other meets taking place over the weekend should rank her 2nd in the 13 years girls Scottish rankings, and the 200m freestyle with a 10.25 second PB, which should also rank her 2nd in the Scottish rankings. Irys gained a further three top 10 finishes with a 4th place in the 50m backstroke; 6th in the 200m breaststroke and was 1st reserve for the final of the 50m freestyle (9th overall).
Adam Selbie, 13 years boys, was the remaining title winner in the 200m backstroke, and his time, of 2 minutes 44.15 seconds, should rank him 1st in the 13 years boys Scottish rankings. Adam also won two silver medal in the 200m butterfly and the 50m backstroke, and a bronze in the 200m freestyle. In addition, he finished 4th in the 50m butterfly, 5th in both the 200m breaststroke and 50m freestyle, and was 8th in the 50m breaststroke..
Ethan Pate, 11/12 years boys, is the 200m butterfly title winner, and his time, of 3 minutes 26.36 seconds, should rank him 1st in the 12 years boys Scottish rankings. He also won silver medals in both the 200m backstroke and 200m freestyle. Ethan also had a further four top ten finishes, 4th in the 50m freestyle; 5th in the 200m breaststroke; 7th in the 50m breaststroke and 8th in the 50m butterfly.
Three more Fins’ swimmers achieved top 10 placings and they were:
Lillian Blair, 11/12 girls, who was 6th in the 50m breaststroke and 9th in the 50m backstroke. However, Lillian was fastest 11 year old in both events.
Caleb Gray, 11/12 boys, 6th in the 200m freestyle and 9th in the 50m butterfly, and
Steven Pate, 16 years boys, 7th in the 50m breaststroke.
The remaining four swimmers finished as follows:
Heidi Mellon, 16 girls, 14th – 50m breaststroke
Ben Lewis, 17/O boys, 21st – 50m freestyle
Grace Wilson, 16 girls, 23rd – 50m freestyle; 30th – 50m butterfly
Jennifer Gordon, 17/O girls, 25th – 50m freestyle; 27th – 50m backstroke.