23 Jul 2018

Deepings Swimming Club swam away with a superb 73 medals at the Chesterfield Summer Splash open meet last weekend.

The competition, which involved 14 clubs from Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Sheffield and Yorkshire, resulted in 20 gold, 29 silver and 24 bronze medals for the squad of 30.

For the boys, stand-out performances came from Louis Metselaar, Harry Cardell and Tom Neal. Between them, they won 22 medals, including 11 golds.

Deepings Swimming Club boys’ captain Tom Neal set the example for the team with a perfect four golds from four races in the 15/O age group. The sprint specialist left rivals in his wake in the 50m and 100m freestyle, and 50m and 100m butterfly.

Louis Metselaar (pictured above) won the most golds of any Deepings swimmer over the two days, touching home first in five events in the 15/O category: 50m and 100m breaststroke, 50m and 100m backstroke, and 200m individual medley (IM). Louis also won silver in the 50m freestyle and 100m butterfly, and bronze in the 50m butterfly and 100m freestyle, capping an excellent weekend.

Louis’s nine medals were matched by 13-year-old Harry Cardell. Harry won two golds (200m butterfly and 400m freestyle), six silvers (50m and 100m butterfly, 50m breaststroke, 50m backstroke, 100m freestyle and 200IM) and one bronze (100m breaststroke), just rewards for one of the club’s hardest working swimmers.

A series of outstanding swims by Holly Leggott saw her top the table for the Deepings girls with seven medals, including four golds.

Holly took a backstroke clean sweep in the 15/O age group, topping the podium in the 50m, 100m and 200m events. She also took gold in the 100m freestyle and finished second in the 200IM and the 200m and 400m freestyle.

Medals were won across the age groups as every swimmer left the competition having achieved a podium place, county qualifying time or personal best.

In the boys 11yrs age group, Alex Sadler won silver in the 200m backstroke and bronze in the 50 freestyle and 100m backstroke.

Four boys achieved top three finishes in the boys 13yrs age group. Zack Treharne won gold in the 100m and 200m backstroke, silver in the 50m freestyle and 100m breaststroke, Owen Sadler won silver in the 200m backstroke and bronze in the 200m butterfly, Christian Rollinson took silver in the 400m freestyle and bronze in the 50m butterfly and 100m backstroke, and Bailey Jackson-Chilvers came away with silver in the 200m breaststroke.

Completing the medal-winning performances were Joe Lund, who won bronze in the 100m butterfly 14yrs category, and Kallum Penman with silver in the 200IM and 50m backstroke, and bronze in the 100m backstroke and 400m freestyle 15/O age group.

Meanwhile, the girls were enjoying an equally impressive competition, with nine swimmers adding to Holly Leggott’s medal haul.

Ten-year-olds Lilly Tappern and Lucie Lund were the youngest swimmers to medal. Lilly won gold in the 200m freestyle and 200m backstroke, silver in the 50m and 100m breaststroke and the 200IM, while Lucie took bronze in the 200IM.

In the 11yrs age group, Holly Griffin won gold in the 100m butterfly and silver in the 200m butterfly.

Tiffany Wong led the way for the 12-year-old girls, with bronze in the 100m butterfly.

In the 14yrs age group, Amy Tappern took silver in the 50m breaststroke and a backstroke bronze hat-trick in the 50m, 100m and 200m.

The medals came thick and fast in the 15/O category, with Lexy Cooper (bronze in the 100m and 200m freestyle, 50m breaststroke and 200IM), Anita Wong (silver in the 100m freestyle), Jessie Spooner (silver in the 50m freestyle, 100m backstroke, 50m and 200m butterfly, bronze in the 200m backstroke) and Hannah Matthews (bronze in the 50m freestyle and 200m butterfly) all putting in impressive swims.

While the majority of the top swimmers were competing in Chesterfield, over the same weekend a squad consisting mainly of younger swimmers competed in round four of the Junior Fenland League at Deepings Leisure Centre.

Seven swimmers claimed first place finishes in their age groups as Deepings came fourth overall. They were: Oliver Harrison (50m butterfly), Ed Trofimovas (50m freestyle and 50m breaststroke), Grace Edwards (50m backstroke), Lola Fletcher (50m backstroke and 50m breaststroke), Holly Roffe (50m freestyle and 50m butterfly), Millie Herrick (50m backstroke) and Jacob Briers (50m butterfly).

Lynn Chapman, Deepings Swimming Club head coach, said: “What a weekend of competition for the club! We enjoyed a fantastic meet in Chesterfield with some outstanding swims by everyone who took part, while our younger swimmers competed well in the Junior Fenland League to come a credible fourth. Well done everyone!”

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Swimming, Deepings Swimming Club, Chesterfield Summer Splash