28 October 24
Trafford Metro Masters swimmers smashed 3 world records on their way to yet another national championships victory making it 3 in a row.
The Swim England Masters National Swimming Championships held over the weekend at Ponds Forge Sheffield saw the team of Trafford Metro dominate the competition with final points tally almost double the second placed team.
The standard of swimming was at an all-time high for the championships and the Trafford swimmers excelled breaking 10 individual British records and 2 European records. In the relay events the team went even further breaking 6 British 5 European and 3 world records.
Masters swimming operate in 5-year age bands from 25 years – 29 years and so on up to 85-90 years and beyond if required. Relay teams start at 100years+ combined age then 120+ followed by 40-year age bands increases to 280+.
Danny Mills started the competition off by breaking the 1500m freestyle British record by over 8 seconds and went on to lower his own British records in the 800m and 400m freestyle events. The ladies were both prolific and dominant for individual performances with 60-year-old Judy Brown lowering the British records for the 200m butterfly and 400m individual medley then adding European records for the 200m Backstroke and 200m individual medley. At 76 years of age, the former international swimmer Rachel Barton lowered the British mark for the 100m and 200m backstroke events. At 40 years of age following a 10-year break from the sport, returning just over a year ago, Sarah Johnson broke the 100m butterfly British record.
In the relay events Katherine Greenslade, Charlotte Taylor, Louisa Zolkiewski and Vicky Cunningham broke European records in both the 4x50m and 4x100m medley team races. In the 4x200m Freestyle ladies relay, Alex Davies joined Kat, Louisa and Vicky to set a new world record for the 100+ age team. Kat and Vicky were then teamed up with James Simpson and Danny Mills in an epic battle against a team comprising of former Olympians in the 100+ mixed 4x100m freestyle event resulting in a fantastic victory and another world record. Finally in the ladies 200+ 4x100 medley team Judy Brown, Mala Rajput Driver, Sarah Johnson and Helen Sadler smashed yet another world record to make it 3 for the team.
In total over the 3 days of competition Trafford Metro swimmers won 45 gold 32 silver and 28 bronze national medals. The total team score of 603 points was way ahead of second placed Birmingham Masters on 316 and Sheffield on 309 with 46 different teams competing across the whole country.
Masters coach and club chairman Bob Bolton said he was ‘utterly blown away by the amazing performances of this outstanding team. The sheer volume of personal best swims was better than anything I’ve ever witnessed at these championships. It’s a very humbling experience to coach these swimmers, especially alongside the dream coach team of my wife Jo and club head coach Crag Ward.’ Trafford Metro train together exclusively at Trafford Leisure’s Sale Leisure Centre. This team victory is the third year on the trot that the club have won the Otter 120 trophy for the top club which adds to their victory as top club at the British Championships earlier this year.
