East Region Youth Championships
THIS weekend Thurrock Swimming Club had four swimmers representing the club at the East Region Youth Championships hosted at the university of East Anglia 50m pool. The championships were a triumph for the four swimmers representing the club, competing against the best swimmers from Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire.
Swimmer Martine Tran took a shine this weekend, qualifying for the 50m freestyle with a time of 29.10 and coming eighth in the final, and equaling her personal best in the 200m backstroke. The second day Martine achieved a 1 second personal best in the heats of the 100m butterfly to make the final with a time of 1:10.9, where she finished 5th. Martine also achieved a personal best in the heats and improved yet again in the final with a time of 30.8 seconds to finish 7th.
Luke Crofts also excelled during the championships – swimming the 100m breaststoke just outside of his personal best, and then went on to achieve a 1 second personal best in the 400m individual medley in 5.15, finishing 7th overall. In the 200m breaststoke Luke beat his personal record twice – finishing 7th in the final. In the 50m breaststroke, Luke swam to a time of 33.7 in the heats (0.7 faster than his personal best) to qualify for the final, where he also moved up to 7th place. In the 200m Individual Medley, Luke again beat his personal record twice, finishing just under 7 seconds faster and coming 6th in the final.
Azar Aitmarri achieved a 12 second personal best in the 200m butterfly in a time of 2.28 to make the final where he finished 7th. Azar also competed in the 50m breaststroke, achieving a personal best of 36.4.
Abigayle Still, swimming in her first regional championships, swum just outside of her 50m butterfly personal best of 32.9.
The next bank holiday later this month will again see the regional championships been held for swimmers in the age category of 11-14 where Thurrock will have 21 swimmers competing at the 50m pool in Luton.
