Young Haringey swimmers nabbed two silver medals and one bronze in the races this weekend, reports Miriam Balanescu
Three Haringey Aquatics swimmers walked away with medals in county championships taking place this weekend.
The young swimmers participating in the Middlesex County Championships on the Saturday, 14th and Sunday, 15th January won two silver medals and one bronze medal between them.
13-year-old Zoe Panayi competed in the 14 years age category and nabbed silver. She set a new personal best time in the 200 metre butterfly, notoriously one of the most gruelling races in swimming.
“I’m really pleased with my silver medal and to get a new personal best in the first competition of the year,” said Zoe. “It’ll give me confidence and spur me on to keep working hard in the build-up to regionals this spring followed by nationals in the summer.”
Seven Haringey Aquatics swimmers in total raced at the championships, with Bianca Gomez-Velasco, racing in the 16 years age category, 100 metre breaststroke, winning silver, and Lulu Hurcombe, competing in the 12 years age category, 200 metre freestyle, snaring bronze.
The Haringey Aquatics team’s head coach Paul Doyle commented: “The swimmers at this club continue to amaze me. The background to the build up towards this year’s Middlesex County Championships has been nothing short of disastrous. Months of pool closures and disrupted training would have left many swimmers disillusioned, but not this lot! They have been a wonderful example of what can be achieved if you stay focused, and I thank them for that!”
The championships, which took place at London Aquatics Centre, mark the beginning of the long course season – taking place in a 50 metre, rather than a 25 metre, pool.
In the coming months, swimmers who qualified to participate in the county championships will work to achieve regional qualifying times for a chance to gain a top 40 spot in the national rankings. Those in this tier will then be invited to compete at the summer nationals.
The Middlesex County Championships will be held across two weekends this year, with the final races going ahead on 18th, and 19th, February, at Hillingdon Leisure Centre.
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