Eleven Fins’ swimmers were back in action last weekend and once again had a very successful outing. This time they were at the Excite Centre, Bathgate, competing in Swim West Lothian IM Tough Meet.
Their performances showed an increase in the rate of improvement which was a very acceptable 83% with three of the non PBs just hundredths of a second short and, together with many of the improvements, some of the non PB times were set two weeks ago at Preston Pans, and once again all the swimmers recorded PBs
The statistics are that eight of the eleven swimmers won a medal which were 7 gold, 9 silver, and 5 bronze. In addition, there were an additional 30 top 10 placings. Pretty good going.
There was also some movement, and some entries, to Fins’ all-time top 50 rankings.
Fins’ top swimmer in terms of performance was 15 year old Steven Pate, who moved from 29th to 26th in the 50m breaststroke rankings, and despite a 1.77 second PB in his 100m breaststroke he remains in 30th place, but has closed the gap to 29th place to just one hundredth of a second.
While the rankings favour the older swimmers it is very encouraging to see the younger swimmers making their mark. The top entry to the rankings is 12 year old Irys Blair, who enters at 42nd in the 200m backstroke with a 14.35 second PB.
For every entry a swimmer must drop out of the top 50 and for this event it is Jennifer Gordon who set her time at the Fife Leagues in June 2022. This also means it becomes that bit harder to enter the top 50 and the time to beat for the girls’ 200m Backstroke is now 2 minutes 42.85 seconds. Irys also had another entry, this time in the girls 200m individual medley, where she enters in 50th place. The departing swimmer is Vicky Bradford who set her time at Carnegie in 1988. The time to enter the rankings for this event now stands at 2 minutes 45.50 seconds
The second mover is another young swimmer, 11 year old Ethan Pate, who moves from 47th to 44th in the boys’ 200m butterfly, with a 12.59 second PB, but it will take another 7.18 second improvement to move into 43rd spot.
The final entrant to the rankings was 13 year old Medeea-Miriam Gorea who enters the girls’ 400m individual medley, in her first open competitive swim in this event, at 47th. The swimmer who makes way in this event is Edelle St. Aubyn who set her time at Glenrothes in February 1996, and the time now required to enter the rankings is 6 minutes 30.40 seconds.
The second and third best improvements have already been mentioned above but the largest PB of the weekend came from 14 year old Abby Morris, when she reduced her 100m breaststroke time by 21.40 seconds.
The full results for Fins’ swimmers are:
Top swimmer for Fins was Ethan Pate, 10/11 years boys, with three gold and one siler medal. The golds were achieved in the 50m backstroke; the 100m freestyle; and the 200m butterfly. The silver medal was for the 50m breaststroke.
Next with two gold, and three silver medals was Caleb Gray, also 10/11 years boys. Caleb’s golds were for the 400m individual medley and 100m butterfly, and his silver medals were for 200m breaststroke; 200m butterfly; and 200m freestyle. In addition he also finished 5th in the 100m breaststroke; 6th in both the 100m butterfly and 100m backstroke and was 7th in the 100m freestyle.
Third top was Irys Blair, 12 years girls, who also won a total 5 medals – one gold, one silver and three bronze. Irys’ gold medal was for the 50m freestyle; and her silver for the 200m backstroke. Her three bronze medals came in the 100m freestyle; 200m individual medley and 200m butterfly. In addition, she finished 4th in the 200m freestyle; 5th in the 200m breaststroke; and 6th in the 100m breaststroke.
The remaining gold medal was won by Medeea-Miriam Gorea, 13 years girls. In the 400m individual medley. Medeea also finished 4th in the 400m freestyle; 6th in the 50m and 100m backstroke and also the 200m freestyle; 7th in the 50m butterfly; 8th in the 400m freestyle; 9th in the 50m breaststroke and 12th in the 100m breaststroke.
The remaining results were:
Lillian Blair, 10/11 girls, – silver medals in both the 50m and 200m breaststroke; bronze medal – 50m backstroke; 4th – 50m freestyle; 5th – 50m butterfly; 6th – 100m freestyle; 7th – 200m freestyle; and 8th – 200m individual medley.
Charlotte Wardlaw, 14 girls, silver medal – 400m freestyle; 4th – 200m breaststroke; 6th – 100m breaststroke; 8th – 200m freestyle; 11th – 100m freestyle; 12th – 100m backstroke.
Steven Pate, 15/O boys, silver medal – 50m breaststroke; 4th – 200m breaststroke; 11th – 100m freestyle
Eva Watson, 10/11 girls, bronze medal – 200m breaststroke; 4th – 200m freestyle; 7th in both the 50m butterfly and 100m breaststroke; 8th – 100m backstroke; 9th – 50m backstroke; 10th – 100m freestyle; 11th – 50m breaststroke.
Abby Morris, 14 girls, 8th – 200m breaststroke; 10th – 50m backstroke; 12th in both the 50m freestyle and 50m butterfly; 13th in both the 50m and 100m breaststroke; and 15th – 100m freestyle.
Sadie Paton, 10/11 girls, 9th – 200m breaststroke; 12th – 50m butterfly; 14th – 50m freestyle; 16th – 100m breaststroke; 17th – 50m backstroke; 20th in both the 50m breaststroke and 200m freestyle; 21st – 100m backstroke
Millie Whytock, 10/11 girls, 11th – 50m freestyle; 12th 100m backstroke.
Well done again to all the swimmers and keep improving.