Across two fantastic weekends of racing at the East Midlands Long Course Championships in Moorways Sports Village (25th–26th April) and Corby East Midlands International Pool (2nd–4th May), our team of 71 swimmers delivered an outstanding set of performances that highlighted the strength, depth, and exciting future of our programme.

The atmosphere across both weekends was brilliant, with swimmers supporting one another from the first event to the last. Coaches, parents, and supporters should all feel incredibly proud of what was achieved both in and out of the pool.

Effie Chapman Breaks Nottinghamshire Junior Record

A huge congratulations goes to Effie Chapman, who produced one of the standout swims of the championships by breaking the Nottinghamshire Junior Record in the 50m Freestyle. This was a truly exceptional achievement and a reflection of the hard work, dedication, and commitment Effie continues to show every day in training.

Strength and Depth Across the Programme

The performances across the championships demonstrated just how strong the programme currently is. Across multiple age groups and events, swimmers produced performances of enormous quality and consistency, with many now aiming to secure qualification for the National Championships later in the season. The depth of talent coming through the programme is incredibly exciting and highlights the positive direction the program continues to move in.

The relay performances in particular showcased the strength and togetherness of the squad, with swimmers coming together to deliver outstanding team performances and support one another throughout the championships.

One of the most pleasing aspects of the championships was the wide variety of events in which medals were won. From explosive sprint races such as the 50m breaststroke through to demanding distance events including the 1500m Freestyle, our swimmers showed the versatility and balance of the programme. Success across sprint, middle-distance, distance, stroke, and medley events demonstrates the all-round development of the athletes and the effectiveness of the pathway currently in place.

A Pathway Producing Results

The pathway within the club is clearly working. Younger swimmers are progressing confidently through the system, developing strong technical skills and race experience, while senior swimmers continue to raise standards and lead by example for those coming through behind them. The results from these championships are a reflection of years of hard work from swimmers, coaches, and families alike.

Director of Coaching Joseph Stanford Reflects on the Championships

Director of Coaching Joseph Stanford said:

“It was fantastic to see so many of our junior athletes step up and perform so well at their target meet. The depth of talent currently in Nottinghamshire is immense, and that is down to the fantastic work being done by the base clubs, not only in feeding into the county squad pathway but also in building such strong foundations during the athletes’ early years in the sport.

Across both weekends we saw swimmers racing with confidence, professionalism, and real team spirit, which was brilliant to see.”

Medal Winners at the East Midlands Long Course Championships

There were outstanding performances throughout the competition, with medal winners including:

• James Hunt – Gold medals in the 200m Butterfly, 200m Backstroke, 100m Backstroke, 200m Freestyle, 800m Freestyle, 50m Backstroke and 200m Individual Medley, plus Silver in the 100m Butterfly and Bronze medals in the 50m Freestyle and 100m Freestyle.
• Effie Chapman – Gold in the 50m Freestyle, plus Bronze medals in the 100m Freestyle, 200m Freestyle and 50m Butterfly.
• Sian Hedley – Gold medals in the 200m Backstroke and 200m Breaststroke, Silver medals in the 100m Breaststroke, 100m Backstroke, 100m Freestyle and 200m Individual Medley, plus Bronze medals in the 50m Freestyle and 200m Freestyle.
• Caitlin Davidson – Gold medals in the 100m Breaststroke and 200m Breaststroke, plus Bronze medals in the 50m Breaststroke, 100m Backstroke and 50m Backstroke.
• Fox Hibberd – Gold in the 200m Backstroke, Silver medals in the 100m Backstroke and 200m Individual Medley, plus Bronze in the 50m Backstroke.
• Olivia Tagg – Gold in the 800m Freestyle, Silver medals in the 200m Freestyle and 200m Breaststroke, plus Bronze in the 200m Individual Medley.
• Megan Sng – Gold medals in the 100m Breaststroke and 50m Breaststroke.
• Tyler Tombs – Gold medals in the 50m Breaststroke and 200m Breaststroke, plus Silver in the 100m Breaststroke.
• Zach Moyo – Gold medals in the 50m Breaststroke and 100m Breaststroke.
• Ivy Smalley – Gold in the 50m Backstroke and Silver in the 100m Backstroke.
• Sara Vasilevska – Gold in the 50m Breaststroke and Bronze in the 100m Breaststroke.
• Phoebe Benyon – Gold in the 800m Freestyle and Bronze in the 400m Freestyle.
• Dante Palmer – Silver in the 50m Freestyle.
• Frank Bower – Silver in the 200m Backstroke and Bronze in the 100m Backstroke.
• Finley Wilkes – Bronze in the 200m Backstroke.
• Layla Davies – Bronze medals in the 100m Breaststroke and 50m Breaststroke.
• George Zhang – Silver in the 200m Breaststroke and Bronze in the 100m Breaststroke.
• Theo Gilham – Bronze in the 200m Breaststroke.
• Leo Taylor – Bronze in the 100m Butterfly.
• Thomas Buckley – Bronze in the 200m Freestyle and Bronze in the 400m Freestyle.
• Harry Callaghan-Wetton – Silver in the 1500m Freestyle.
• Sienna Brett – Bronze in the 50m Freestyle.
• Ahmet Yesil – Bronze in the 50m Breaststroke.
• Cira Fletcher – Gold in the 200m Breaststroke and Bronze in the 100m Breaststroke.
• Daniel Walker – Gold in the1500m Freestyle.
• The Girls’ 400m Medley Relay team of Sian Hedley, Effie Chapman, Caitlin Davidson and Elizabeth Martindale – Bronze medalists.

Thank You to Coaches, Parents and Supporters

A huge thank you also goes to all the parents who helped with team managing duties and supported swimmers throughout the championships, as well as a special thank you to Roxanna for coordinating all of the meet entries.

Building Towards an Exciting Summer

These championships were another major step forward for the program and a fantastic reflection of the culture, commitment, and ambition across the programme. They provide strong building blocks heading into what promises to be an exciting summer of racing ahead.

The performances across Derby and Corby once again highlighted the quality of coaching, support, and athlete development currently taking place within the programme. From junior swimmers stepping onto the regional stage for the first time to experienced athletes delivering medal-winning performances, the pathway is clearly producing results at every level.

For talented swimmers looking to take the next step in their development, these championships showed exactly why Nova Centurion and the County Swim Squad continue to be such an exciting environment to be part of. The depth of talent, the strength of the pathway, and the success being achieved across all event groups demonstrate that this is a programme where swimmers can continue to develop, thrive, and perform at the highest level.

Attention now turns to the Regional Open Water Championships and the NOVA Sprint Meet.

Well done to everyone involved, the future of the programme is looking incredibly bright.