Regional joy for West Norfolk Swimming Club members

West Norfolk Swimming Club had a sizable team of swimmers qualify for the Swim England East Region Short Course Championships, which were held at the Inspire Luton Sports Village across three days.

Esmie Kidman was the sole representative in action on the opening evening in the women’s 800 metre Freestyle, putting in a personal best performance of 9 minutes 53.70 seconds.

On Saturday morning, Robert Addis and Joe Wells opened proceedings with a pair of season best times in the 200m IM, which also saw Freddie Laws swim a new personal best time of 2 minutes and 9.5 seconds and Nathan Wells qualify for the final in a time of 2 minutes 7.35 seconds.

Wells then lowered to a season’s best 2.03.98 en route to first place and a regional title.

The men’s 50m freestyle saw personal best swims for Laws, Nathan Wells and Tobias Oglesby along with a season’s best time for Nedas Tkacenko and strong swims from Addis, Joe Wells and Jake Lammas.

In the women’s 200m butterfly Elyn Lauder posted a season’s best 2 minutes 38.41 seconds and Millie Harris - a dual registered swimmer for West Norfolk and Wisbech SC - bagged a new pb of 2 minutes 37.10 seconds.

The 100m breaststroke saw West Norfolk secure representation in both the women’s and men’s finals, courtesy of Sarah O’Brien and Freddie Laws respectively, with Molly Lee and Alex Florance also securing season’s best times.

In the final, O’Brien swam a strong race for fifth, whilst Laws lowered his heat times by more than a second to claim regional silver medal.

The women’s 100m IM saw O’Brien swim a pb of 1.06.93 to secure another finals spot, which saw her finish one place higher than her swim in the heats.

Addis, Oglesby and Nathan Wells were in action again for the 100M backstroke, with Oglesby swimming a pb and Wells moving through to the final where he secured a bronze medal.

The 200m freestyle put Wells through to his third final of the day after a season’s best swim in the heats - where Joe Wells, Addis and Oglesby also recorded season best times.

The final, held mere minutes after that for the 100m backstroke, saw Wells finish sixth.

O’Brien and Harris set a pb in the 50m butterfly, along with season’s bests for Addis, Oglesby and Joe Wells.

In the Sunday sprints, there was a pb for Oglesby in the men’s 50m backstroke whilst the women’s 50m freestyle brought a season’s best for O’Brien and a pb time of 28.71 for Erin Woodrow.

The 200m breaststroke saw a hat-trick of pb’s for West Norfolk, courtesy of Florence, Laws and O’Brien with the latter two qualifying for

the finals.

The 100m butterfly saw season’s bests for Addis and Joe Wells alongside pb’s for Laws and Harris, before the men’s 100m IM saw Laws and Nathan Wells qualify for the final.

In the 100m freestyle, Laws and Oglesby took new personal bests whilst Lammas, Addis and Joe Wells swam season’s bests.

The 50m breaststroke saw Laws swim a season’s best swim to reach the men’s final and Molly Lee repeat the feat in the women’s.

Lammas and Harvey Isle swam season’s best times in the 200m backstroke before Nathan Wells confirmed his third finals spot with a 2 minute 9.07 second swim.

Wells was up first in the men’s 50m backstroke final, swimming 26.57 for bronze.

In the 200m breaststroke showpiece, Laws claimed a pb and a silver medal in a fiercely-competitive event.

The women’s final for the same event saw Sarah O’Brien set a pb of 2 minutes, 38.11 seconds for fourth.

Wells and Laws faced off in the 100m IM final.

Laws set another new pb on his way to sixth place, whilst Wells saw off a close field to take gold - his second of the championships.

Wells was sixth in the 200m backstroke final, before Laws and Molly Lee closed out proceedings in the 50m breaststroke event, both finishing fifth.