Ellesmere rocks at Midlands, (literally)

By Luke Parker

Over the past two weekends at the Midland age group championships in Coventry, the Titans have in many cases, stormed to victory. 2 National Qualifying Times, 1 top 10 year old boy, 5 finals, 21 PBs and 7 top 3 finishes. In the finals, head coach Jon Pardoe and other swimmers blew vuvuzelas and air horns for effect. This did not go down well with the judges. Here are the thoughts and feelings of some of the swimmers:

Luke Parker, 11
‘My first race of the second weekend was on the Saturday afternoon. It was the 200m backstroke, probably my favourite and best event, and I was going for the big one, an NQT. I waited in anticipation for my race. I was in an outside lane and had stiff competition on the inside lanes. “Take your marks, GO!” was all I heard before we were off. I blasted the first and second length, getting a new PB on the first 100. I felt myself slowing down on the third length but I tried my best to hold out to the pain. I bombed the last length and touched as hard as I could but my time hadn’t come up, but I had won my heat so I knew it must be good.

I waited in suspense for the result. YES!!! I’d got it in a time of 2:41.43, 0.81 seconds faster than the national. I was delighted, and it got better because I had qualified for the final 3rd. It didn’t quite turn out like that. I went 2:43.39 in the final and came 7th. It was still an OK time and I was really happy about my NQT. I am also really happy to have been lucky enough to get the 100m backstroke national as well.

Ellie Hutchings, 10
‘I had been reserve for the 200m freestyle final on the first weekend, so I was determined to get into a final. I qualified 6th fastest for the 200m backstroke – it felt great to make it. Announcing my name before my race really got me going, as did the vuvuzelas! I was nervous when racing but really happy at the end as I finished 5th in a personal best time.

One of the swimmers blew all away. Hector Pardoe won 7 medals and won the top 10 year old boy by exactly 100 points. Well done.
Head coach Jon Pardoe said, “I’m really pleased with the swimmers’ performance and I’m sure our squad will go on to even bigger things as the years go on.”

Other swimmers included Alfie Pardoe (13), Elliot Hughes (14), Lucy Rowland (13), Luc Jarzynski (12), Michael Doyle (11) and Beatrice Roberts (13).