Tallulah Mae Rautenbach, swimming for the first time at the Hampshire County Champions Junior had a excellent weekend securing medal places in all her swims. Competing in the 12 year old girls, she took Gold in the 50 Backstroke with a person best time of 34.78 having already achieved a PB in the heat. She took Silver in both the 50m Butterfly with a PB of 34.19 and in the 50m Freestyle also with PBs in both her heat and final and a new personal best time of 29.89. She also placed 3rd in Bronze medal position in both the 100m Butterfly and the 200m Butterfly, the latter with a PB of 3.09.35 and both the 100m and 200m Freestyle the latter with another excellent PB of 2.28.95.
Samuel Cann, swimming in the 12 year old boys, achieved 2 Gold medals starting the competition with an excellent swim and 1st place with an 8 second PB in his opening event, the 200m Individual Medley and finishing equally well securing first place again in the final of his last event, the 50m Backstroke, also with a PB of 36.20. He also took Silver in the 100m Breaststroke with another PB of 1.28.91after a fiercely close finish and 4th place in the final of the 50m freestyle with yet another PB of 31.51. Scarlett Foss also competing for the first time in the 12 year olds and achieved 4th place in the 200m Backstroke with a personal best time of 2.56.71 and a series of great swims against the tough competition securing further PBs in her 50m and 100m Breaststroke with 46.50 and 1.44.89 respectively, and her 100m freestyle with 1.20.89.
Swimming in the boys 13 year olds, Oliver Stephens took the Silver medal in the 200m Butterfly with a new personal best time of 2.58.03 whilst securing 5th place in the 100m Butterfly with a 4 second PB of 1.19.15 after a close race and a further PB of 35.13 in the 50m Butterfly. Oliver also secured personal best times in the 100m and 200m Freestyle of 1.08.60 and 2.30.95 respectively and in the 50m Backstroke with a new time of 35.95. It was also Imogen Bleasdale’s first competition at County level and she achieved some great swims, securing 6th place in both the 100m and 200m Backstroke with new personal best times in both of 1.15.42 and 2.41.60 respectively. In the oldest age group, the 14 year old girls, Tara Kennedy took Silver medal in the 100m Backstroke with a new personal best time of 1.10.76 and Bronze medal in the 50m Backstroke with a 33.40. Youngest member of the team, Samuel Dunning, competing in the 10/11 year old boys also had a great first County Championships achieving personal best times in all his swims of 44.88 in the 50m Backstroke, 1.33.34 in the 100m Backstroke and 3.21.59 and 7th place in the 200m Backstroke.
Photo – left to right, Imogen Bleasdale, Tallulah Mae Rautenbach, Tara Kennedy, Scarlett Foss, Samuel Cann, Samuel Dunning, Oliver Stephens