SWIMMING: IPSWICH Swimming Club produced a string of successes at the Diana ASA Midland District 2001 Age Group Long Course Championships. A total of 22 Ipswich swimmers – plus coaches, parents and supporters – travelled to Coventry for the competition over two consecutive weekends.

IPSWICH Swimming Club produced a string of successes at the Diana ASA Midland District 2001 Age Group Long Course Championships.

A total of 22 Ipswich swimmers – plus coaches, parents and supporters – travelled to Coventry for the competition over two consecutive weekends.

This prestigious event gave the Ipswich youngsters a rare opportunity to compete in a 50-metre length pool.

Many swimmers had to stay overnight in hotels as quite a few of them were swimming both days and having very early warm-up sessions.

Fourteen-year-old Joe Rhodes had an excellent competition with a very close and exciting race in the 100m freestyle finishing a close second in a time of 58.04. Rhodes was also runner-up in the 200m freestyle with a time of 2:08.03 and completed his competition with a fourth place in the 400m freestyle with a time of 4:38.40.

The Gallagher brothers between them had very busy weekends. Eighteen-year-old Phillip reached the finals in the 100m freestyle coming third in a time of 55.22 just outside his heat time of 55.02. He also finished eighth in the 100m butterfly in a time of 1:02.93 and ninth in the 400m freestyle in a time of 4:26.44.

Phillip came fourteenth in the 200m freestyle in a time of 2:06.17 and seventh in the 200m individual medley in a time of 2:17.75.

Sixteen-year-old Simon came eighth in the final of the 100m freestyle in 58.12 and seventeenth in the 200m individual medley in a time of 2:27.35. In the 200m freestyle he finished fifteenth in a time of 2:09.27. Younger brother David, 13, kept up with his brothers by coming eighth in the 100m freestyle in a time of 1:03.63, seventeenth in the 200m backstroke in a time of 2:43.16, thirteenth in the 100m butterfly (1.14.00), eleventh in the 200m freestyle (2:19.84) and eighteenth in the individual medley in 2:40.44.

Wayne Linford reached the final of the 100m butterfly finishing fifth in a time of 1:00.56 and twelfth in the 200m individual medley (2:22.23). Sixteen-year-old John Sargent came fifth in the 100m backstroke final in a time of 1:05.82, seventeenth in the 100m butterfly 1:06.84 and finished a very close fourth place in the 200m backstroke in a time of 2:23.98.

Alison Girling swam a personal best to reach the final in the 100m butterfly and then swam another personal best in the final to finish fifth in a time of 1:09.00, she also finished fourth in the 100m breaststroke in a time of 1:18.41 and fifth in the 200m breaststroke in a time of 2:51.37. The Mallion sisters also had a very busy time of it, older sister Aimee finished fourth in the 100m butterfly final in a time of 1:08.76, ninth in the 100m freestyle (1:02.85), eleventh in the 200m freestyle (2:17.83) and fifth in the 200m individual medley (2:35.20).

Younger sister Laura finished ninth in the 100m butterfly in a time of 1:13.79 and nineteenth in the 100m freestyle in 1:06.35.

REMAINING RESULTS

11-YEAR OLDS

Rachel Keeley 200m Backstroke 11th 2:57.48, Sophie Poole 200m Freestyle 6th 2:36.11, Abigail Harper 200m Freestyle 8th 2:48.17, Tim Price 200m Freestyle 12th 2:35.72,200m Breaststroke 13th 3:27.60, Harry Blau 200m Backstroke 19th 2:58.70.

12-YEAR OLDS

Rebecca Harris 100m Breaststroke 17th 1:29.94, 200m Breaststroke 17th 3:12.84, William Boosey 200m Freestyle 13th 2:30.89, 400m Freestyle 16th 5:18.61, Robert Nixon 200m Breaststroke 10th 3:04.04, Michael Pugh 200m Breaststroke 18th 3:10.33, 200m I.M. 20th 2:52.94.

13-YEAR OLDS

Natasha Downes 400m Freestyle 11th 5:01.26, 200m Freestyle 16th 2:23.30, 200m I.M. 20th 2:46.60, 100m Freestyle 10th 1:05.55.

14-YEAR OLDS

Alice Calver 200m Breaststroke 15th 3:07.80, 200m I.M. 17th 2:42.97, 100m Breaststroke 17th 1:25.84. Kirsty Binnington 100m Freestyle 17th 1:06.62, 200m I.M. 24th 2:46.41.

17/19-YEAR OLDS

Tom Harrison 100m Freestyle 22nd 59.76.

Many of these swimmers are going on to the Nationals and Ipswich Swimming Club would like to take this opportunity to wish them the very best of luck!