Ensuring our region is a place where clubs, athletes and volunteers can flourish
British Swimming has confirmed that Sheffield is to play host to the British Swimming Championships in April 2022.
The iconic Ponds Forge International Sports Centre will welcome athletes between 5-10 April, many of whom will be vying for qualification for the World Championships and Commonwealth Games.
The event is also well placed to help team selections for the remaining junior international meets in the competition calendar which will include the European and World Junior Championships.
A group of 47 swimmers have been selected for the 2021-22 Swim England Junior Squad which will see the athletes preparing for future international competitions.
Areas such as learning arena skills, performance behaviours and racing philosophy are among the topics to be delivered on the programme.
On Wednesday 22 December, the team gathered virtually as they are inducted onto their first online engagement day. Olympian Max Litchfield joined as a guest to share his knowledge and attitude to obstacles with the athletes.
On 14th December Swim England updated their guidance for all disciplines and competition with encouragement to wear face-coverings where appropriate indoors at training and competitions, unless exempt.
Olympic champions Adam Peaty and Tom Daley have been shortlisted for the prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.
They are among six contenders in the running for the accolade with the winner due to be announced on Sunday 19 December.
Peaty became the first British swimmer to retain an Olympic title when he triumphed in the Men’s 100m Breaststroke at the rearranged Tokyo 2020 Games.
Five years after his success in Rio, Peaty clocked his fifth fastest time ever to win in 57.37 seconds – 0.63 ahead of his nearest rival.
The 26-year-old returned from Japan with a total of three medals after also winning a gold and a silver in two relays.
He was part of the record-breaking mixed medley team alongside Kathleen Dawson, James Guy and Anna Hopkin who picked up Team GB’s fourth swimming gold of the Games in a new world best time of 3:37.58.
Swim England is strongly encouraging athletes, coaches, teachers, volunteers and spectators to wear face coverings where possible following the announcement of additional Covid restrictions by the Government.
The Government’s ‘Plan B’ announcement was made around face coverings, working from home and Covid passports for large events in a bid to slow down the spread of the Omicron strain of coronavirus.
Sporting events can continue and the Swim England Water Polo National Age Group Championships at Ponds Forge on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 December is still scheduled to go ahead as planned.
A group of 27 ‘promising and talented’ athletes, including 3 from our region, have been selected for the Swim England Performance Squad for the 2021-22 season.
The swimmers from the South East selected for the squad are:
Despite the challenges of the last 18 months, these 10 men and 17 women have been selected as a result of their performances in both national and international competitions over the last year.
They have also shown considerable potential ahead of what is bound to be an exciting three-year cycle to the next Olympic Games in Paris, which includes the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham next year.
Swim England has released guidance on the practice of weighing athletes within aquatic sports.
The recommendation from the national governing body is that individuals under the age of 18 should not be weighed unless they are on a nationally supported pathway.
This guidance is applicable to athletes within all aquatic disciplines including swimming, para-swimming, water polo, artistic swimming and diving.
It is designed to prevent potential areas of concern, such as psychological distress, which may occur as a result of athletes being tested and monitored in this way.
Hampshire finished third to Warwickshire and Yorkshire in Masters inter-counties Hampshire scored 1163.5 while Yorkshire scored 1208 lints and winners Warwickshire topped then table with 1236 points.
Hampshire scored 1163.5 while Yorkshire scored 1208 lints and winners Warwickshire topped then table with 1236 points.
Some important changes have been made to the upcoming National Winter Championships which is shaping up to be a busy weekend of racing in Sheffield.
Due to a large number of entries, racing will be split across two short course pools for the heats sessions with men in one pool and women in the other.
An updated version of the competition schedule will be published after entries close on 25 November at midday, after which time no late entries will be accepted.
The updated competition schedule, once published, will be accessible here.
A number of ‘exciting clashes’ will take place at the U16s Girls’ Inter-Regional Championships at the beginning of next month.
One week after the U16 boys’ championships, 10 girls teams will compete at the Walsall Gala Baths on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 December.
North West Thunder were the last winners of the U16 Girls Inter-Regional Championships back in July 2019.
Dozens of youngsters are set to take part in the first water polo Inter-Regional Championships in almost two years later this month.
Ten teams will be in action at the Walsall Gala Baths in the U16s boys’ competition on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 November.
London, West Midlands, South West Sharks, North West Tigers and South East are all competing in Division One.
East, Wales, North East Steelers, East Midlands and Scotland Saltires make up the Division Two teams.
