A fantastic day of swimming saw the Prep School team deliver outstanding performances across both the morning and afternoon sessions, competing with determination against some of the strongest young swimmers in the country.
The day began with the Year 7 boys relay team of Alex F, Amos L-S, Charlie V and David W taking to the pool. Facing a highly competitive field, the team produced excellent results, finishing twelfth in the medley relay and fourteenth in the freestyle relay. Praise must go to David W, who, as the only non-club swimmer in the quartet, rose superbly to the occasion. In what was undoubtedly an intimidating environment surrounded by experienced competitors, he gave an exceptional performance, swimming out of his skin and playing a crucial role in the team’s success.
The boys’ individual events followed, with Alex F and Charlie V joined by Yuchen C and Henry W-S. All four swimmers performed admirably against the top twenty IAPS competitors in the country. Henry finished eighteenth overall and Charlie fifteenth, both highly respectable results at this level. Meanwhile, Alex and Yuchen progressed to the top 10 finals in their events, where Alex secured an impressive 6th place overall and Yuchen delivered a superb swim to claim 3rd place, marking one of the highlights of the morning.
In the afternoon session, the girls’ relay teams continued the momentum with strong performances across three age groups. The Under 10 team of Libby F, Effy J, Ava L and Allegra S placed an excellent 8th in their medley relay. The Under 12 team—Lily A, Grace C, Lois E-N and Letty S-L—finished eleventh in the medley relay and eighteenth in the freestyle, while the Under 13 team of Isabella B, Lara B, Hattie L and Stella S secured 10th in the medley and seventeenth in the freestyle. Each team demonstrated impressive teamwork and resilience in a very strong field.
The girls’ individual events proved to be a standout part of the day, producing a series of exceptional results and podium finishes. Effy J took 1st place in the Under 10 backstroke, Allegra S dominated the Under 10 breaststroke to secure another 1st, and Lara B triumphed in the Under 13 backstroke. Hattie L added to the medal haul with a brilliant 2nd place in the Under 13 butterfly, while Lois E-N delivered a commendable performance to finish fifteenth in the Under 12 backstroke.
The performance of the day came from Allegra S, who not only won her event but also set a new record in the Under 10 girls’ 50m breaststroke. Breaking the previous record of 40.65 seconds, Allegra stormed to a remarkable time of 38.35 seconds in the final, improving further on her already impressive heat swim and capping a truly outstanding achievement.
Overall, the competition proved to be a hugely successful day for the Prep School swimmers. Alongside the medals and placings, the event highlighted the determination, resilience and team spirit of all involved, particularly those swimmers who are not regular club competitors but stepped up brilliantly on a large and demanding stage. It was a collective effort to be proud of, and every swimmer played their part in an inspiring day for the school.
