SWIMMING: Suffolk swimmers have proved themselves among the most talented in the UK, with 13 youngsters selected for a forthcoming Active Sport Talent Camp.A total of 32 swimmers have been hand-picked to attend the first Eastern Region camp as part of the new nation-wide drive to boost club attendance, and to drive up the standard of British youth sport.

By Debbie Watson

SUFFOLK swimmers have proved themselves among the most talented in the UK, with 13 youngsters selected for a forthcoming Active Sport Talent Camp.

A total of 32 swimmers have been hand-picked to attend the first Eastern Region camp as part of the new nation-wide drive to boost club attendance, and to drive up the standard of British youth sport.

The swimmers were selected following a number of county championships around the UK over the last few months.

Richard Gordon, ASA Coaching and Training Development Co-ordinator, said: "The selection process has taken a long time because of collating numerous results from the county championships around the country.

"We've put together a list of some very promising young swimmers, and hopefully the Talent Camp will prove to be exactly the springboard that many of them are looking for."

Richard, who is based at Crown Pools in Ipswich, added: "Suffolk has performed particularly well, so it is a real credit to the work that the clubs in this county are already doing."

In all, 370 names have been included on to the list, and they will now be individually requested to attend one of nine Active Sport Talent Camps around the country.

Among the main list of able-bodied swimmers, some 13 Suffolk youngsters, seven Essex, seven Norfolk, four Cambridgeshire, and one from Hertfordshire, have been chosen.

A further five Suffolk swimmers are included in the list of reserves, and yet another five disabled swimmers from the Eastern Region will be included in the Talent Camp process.

The names of the selected Suffolk swimmers are as follows: Stephen Stretton, Eleanor Haynes, Briony Lowe, Mark Stevens, Chris Walker-Hebborn, Chloe Westley, Gregory Billington, James Christopher, Verity Jason, Victoria Cadge, Matthew Vinter, Jake Weston, Frankie Houck

The reserves are:, Grace Calver, Michael Pugh, Jo Kemp, David Gallagher, Laura Healey

The Eastern Region selection of disabled swimmers, is:, Sarah Bowling, Ben Dunn, Thomas Digney, Christopher Foster, Christopher Fisk.

No date and venue for the Eastern Region Camp has yet been announced, but The Evening Star will be covering the progress of these swimmers.