The city of Norwich recently hosted a thrilling long course meet at the Sportspark, where over 70 swimmers from the West Norfolk Swimming Club showcased their incredible skills. The event, which took place during the first weekend of March, saw the young athletes collectively earn an impressive 100 medals, achieve numerous personal bests, and secure a variety of regional qualifying times. The meet was a testament to the dedication and hard work of the West Norfolk Swimming Club members, who demonstrated their passion for the sport and their commitment to excellence. As the swimmers took to the pool, they were filled with excitement and nerves, eager to put their skills to the test and make their mark on the competition.
The meet kicked off with a bang, as Martha More, Elizabeth Litvinenko, and Polly Anderson each claimed gold in their respective age categories in the female 100m breaststroke event. The energy in the pool was electric, with the crowd cheering on the swimmers as they gave it their all. The male/open 200m freestyle event saw Race Elmer earn his first silver of the weekend, while Jamie Wilson celebrated his first bronze. The 200m butterfly event was another highlight, with Madison Hicks and Polly Anderson bringing home silver and bronze, respectively. As the day went on, the medals kept coming, with Zoe Wilson triumphing with gold in the 14+ category, and Olivia Haddock following closely with silver. The West Norfolk Swimming Club members were on fire, with brothers Jack and Thomas Baxter both securing silvers in the male/open 100m backstroke event.
As the morning session drew to a close, the swimmers took a well-deserved break before returning to the pool for the afternoon session. The 200m individual medley event saw Jack Baxter earn his second silver of the weekend, while Joshua Norris and Harry Clarke brought home bronze. The 200m backstroke event was a particular highlight, with six medals earned by the West Norfolk swimmers. Nellie Chadderton and Polly Anderson each claimed gold, while Martha More and Elizabeth Litvinenko secured silver. The excitement in the pool was palpable, with the swimmers pushing themselves to new heights and achieving incredible results. The 100m butterfly event saw Jack Baxter earn a silver, and both Junru Cai and Jamie Wilson take home bronze. As the day drew to a close, the West Norfolk Swimming Club members had already accumulated an impressive haul of medals, with many more to come.
Sunday morning saw the swimmers return to the pool, ready to take on another day of competition. The 100m breaststroke event saw Oliver Veale claim gold, followed by Joshua Norris with silver, and Jack Baxter rounding out the podium with bronze. The female session began with the 200m freestyle, featuring Elizabeth Litvinenko and Olivia Bradford both earning gold medals, while Martha More added to her weekend tally with a silver. The 200m butterfly event saw Race Elmer and Jamie Wilson take home gold, while Kye Harrington started his medal collection with silver, and Kirill Ivanenko captured bronze. As the morning session drew to a close, the swimmers took a break before returning to the pool for the final sessions of the weekend. The atmosphere in the pool was tense, with the swimmers giving it their all in the hopes of securing a place on the podium.
The afternoon session on Sunday was just as exciting, with the swimmers pushing themselves to new heights. The 200m individual medley event saw Martha More, Elizabeth Litvinenko, and Olivia Bradford all clinch golds. Meanwhile, Nellie Chadderton and Ruby Baxter proudly took home silver. The 200m backstroke event saw Harvey Isle shine with a silver, while brothers Jack and Thomas Baxter both earned bronze, joined by Teddy Roberts, who also secured a bronze. The 100m butterfly event saw a clean sweep of gold for Martha More, Elizabeth Litvinenko, and Olivia Bradford. As the weekend drew to a close, the West Norfolk Swimming Club members had accumulated an incredible 100 medals, with many of the swimmers achieving personal bests and securing regional qualifying times. The final event of the weekend, the 400m individual medley, saw Alex Pattison take home the gold, and Kye Harrington capture bronze in the same age group.
The West Norfolk Swimming Club members left the Sportspark on Sunday evening with huge smiles on their faces, proud of their achievements and already looking forward to the next competition. The weekend had been an incredible success, with the swimmers demonstrating their dedication, perseverance, and passion for the sport. The club’s coaches and supporters were overjoyed with the results, praising the swimmers for their hard work and commitment to excellence. As the swimmers looked back on the weekend, they could be proud of their achievements, knowing that they had given it their all and left everything in the pool. The future looks bright for the West Norfolk Swimming Club, with a talented group of young swimmers ready to take on the challenges of the upcoming season. With their sights set on the next competition, the swimmers will be back in the pool soon, training hard and pushing themselves to new heights. The city of Norwich can be proud of its young swimmers, who have shown that with dedication and hard work, anything is possible.
