Laura Le Cras and Samuel Lowe travelled over from Guernsey to Sheffield to compete against Britain’s top senior swimmers in the Swim England Winter nationals at Ponds Fords international pool held over 3 days. This was a short course 25m event and due to the event being cancelled last year due to COVID, there was a larger number of entries this year racing so the 50m pool was split into two 25m pools for back to back racing with one pool for women and other pool for men.
Having chosen her events carefully focusing on gaining commonwealth qualifying times, Laura had an excellent meet setting two new Island records and obtaining a B Commonwealth qualifying time in the 50 Breaststroke. Her first event was the 50 freestyle where she got a great start and good turn wining her heat in a new personal best time of 26.98. In a very competitive 50 breaststroke event with only 0.17 seconds difference between all 10 swimmers posted times Laura again excelled herself finishing 1st in 32.35 a new personal times time, Island record and a B commonwealth qualifying time. Laura then had to swim again in a swim off for a place in the senior final although bettering her time form the heats she just lost out on the touch finishing in 32.17. To finish the meet Laura set a new Island record in the 50 butterfly finishing in 28.54 another personal best time.
Having achieved several qualifying times Samuel Lowe entered 6 events. Samuel had a really successful Island Championships last week where he set a new Island record in the 800 freestyle and gained a B commonwealth time for the 200 Backstroke, however unfortunately, Samuel was not feeling 100 percent which affected his performance. Feeling slightly better on the last day, he swam the 200m freestyle just outside of his personal best time in 1:56.47.
Both Laura and Samuel will be competing in the Winchester Winter Sparkler which is one of the few long course swimming meets being held this year.
Also competing at the Nationals were brothers Charlie-Joe and Ronny Hallett who are now both training in the UK.
Charlie-Joe’s main focus for this weekend was attaining commonwealth times. He swam a seasons best in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke clocking a time of 1-01.22 for the 100 which is just shy of the commonwealth A time of 1.01.00. In the 200 breaststroke he swam a time of 2-15.37 which is well inside the commonwealth B time of 2-16.60 and in the 50 breaststroke he swam a 28.02 just off his personal best set at Southern’s last month of 27.72. He will take part in the National Arena Regional finals next weekend and then his focus will turn to the long course season which kicks off at the end of January with an International open meet in Luxembourg followed by County Championships.
Ronny had a successful weekend in his first experience of national competition having missed out like many last year due to COVID. He swam his first sub minute 100 Individual Medley in a time of 58.85 dropping his time by 1.5 seconds. In the 100m breaststroke he swam a personal best of 1-04.04 and on day 3 of competition he swam an impressive all time best in the 200 breaststroke coming home in a 2.19.09 improving his time set only 2 weeks ago by over 3 seconds. He also swam in the 50m freestyle and breaststroke posting times just shy of his personal bests. Ronny will now be turning his focus to his favoured long course season.
