25 golds as Deepings closes the swimming season in style
29 Jul 2022
Deepings Swimming Club closed off the 2021/22 season with an outstanding weekend at the Chesterfield Summer Splash, winning 25 gold, 20 silver and 22 bronze medals.
After arguably the most tumultuous 12 months in the club’s history, which saw the closure of its home pool at Deepings Leisure Centre, following by six months of nomadic existence at local leisure centres and lidos in Peterborough and Bourne, its future was finally secured by a move to Stamford Endowed Schools pools in January giving the swimmers consistent water time to practice and develop their skills and stamina.
Every competition since saw the results build, culminating with the final meet of the regular season which saw 19 swimmers medal and the squad achieve an incredible 98 personal bests.
It was a fitting end to the coaching career of Deepings’ head coach of 17 years, Lynn Chapman.
“This was a wonderful competition to see out my career at Deepings Swimming Club,” she said. “There were so many excellent performances from all swimmers, many of whom have the potential to achieve great success in the sport.”
Holly Leggott dominated the freestyle and backstroke sprint events in the 15/over age group, claiming gold in both the 50m and 100m races. She added three silvers in the 200IM, 100m butterfly and 200m backstroke, posting excellent times despite only recently returning from a shoulder injury.
Deepings performance squad swimmers showed their quality in repeatedly reaching the podium.
Olivia Hunter, who will shortly be racing at British Summer Championships in the 200m butterfly and 400IM and English Nationals in the 100m butterfly, set a three-second PB to claim gold in the 15/O 400m freestyle, and added further wins in the 50m and 200m butterfly as well as silver in the 50m freestyle.
Her sister Sadie, who will be representing Deepings at English Nationals in the 200m butterfly next month, also claimed a trio of gold medals, in the 100m and 200m butterfly plus the 400m freestyle, where she dipped under five minutes for the first time to swim 4:57.17.
Competing in the 13yrs age group, Sadie also took silver in the 50m backstroke and the 400IM, knocking a massive 34 seconds off her previous best to touch the wall in 5:35.73. She completed her weekend with bronze in the 200IM.
Millie Herrick also broke through the five-minute barrier in the 400m freestyle to win gold in 4:56.69. The 14-year-old won three more golds, all in new PBs, in the 100IM, 200m freestyle and 200m backstroke. She also took silver in the 100m backstroke, 100m freestyle and 200IM.
The club’s growing strength in depth was clearly illustrated as seven younger swimmers came away with first-place finishes, three of them in the 9yrs age group.
Annabel Shepherd scooped gold in the 50m butterfly, 200IM and 200m breaststroke, the latter two in new PBs, Oliver Clarke finished top of the podium in the 50m backstroke and 200IM and Millie Edwards won the 100IM.
All three also claimed more medals, including silver in the 100m backstroke and bronze in the 50m and 100m freestyle and 100m breaststroke for Annabel, silver in the 50m breaststroke, 100IM and 200m freestyle for Oliver and bronze in the 50m backstroke and 50m butterfly for Millie.
Ten-year-olds Ashton Hunter and Chloe Bellis combined for three golds. Ashton won the 50m backstroke and 200m butterfly and took silver in the 100m backstroke and 200m freestyle, while Chloe touched home first in the 100m butterfly. Both also claimed several bronze medals – Ashton in the 50m and 100m butterfly, 100m freestyle and 200IM, and Chloe in the 200IM.
Two 12-year-old boys completed the gold medal tally. Oliver Shepherd won the 200m butterfly, knocking an incredible 47 seconds off the PB he set a year ago, while teammate James Cash came first in the 50m backstroke.
Oliver also won silver in the 50m and 100m butterfly and 400IM, the latter in a 38-second PB to go under six minutes for the first time (5:58.91), as well as bronze in the 50m freestyle. James also took a bronze, in the 100IM.
Wrapping up a wonderful weekend for Deepings Swimming Club were Emma Affleck with silver in the 400m freestyle and bronze in the 200m backstroke, and seven bronze medallists: Eleanor Twinley in the 200m butterfly, Kai Watson in the 100IM, William Burdock in the 50m backstroke, Penny Baxter in the 200m freestyle, Lewis Tarver in the 100m breaststroke, Isabella Reynolds in the 200m breaststroke and Mieke McDonald in the 100IM and 200m breaststroke.