Midland Age Group Championships – 14th & 15th June
The final weekend of the 2008 Midland Age Group Championships kicked off at 8am on Saturday 14th June at Coventry’s Olympic Size Pool. By the end of a long and exhausting 5 sessions – Titan swimmers had secured numerous Personal Bests, All Time Club Records and had medalled. Most importantly they had put the Titans well and truly on the swimming map.
Throughout the weekend the purple and gold of our Titans banner shone out across the pool as a beacon of our intentions. Our Titan Shirts were clearly in evidence and many coaches, swimmers and officials came up to talk to me about the new club.
First off the blocks, for the Titans, was Alfie Pardoe in the boys 10/u 200m breaststroke heats. Alfie did just enough to reach the final of this event in which he came 8th in a new PB Long Course time of 3:28.51, which converts to 3:25.91 Short Course.
In the afternoon Alfie was back in business in the 10/u boys 200m backstroke heats – where this time he smashed his PB in a Long Course time of 2:51.81 – reaching the final in 3rd position. With the prospects of winning a medal – tensions were running high as the final of this event loomed. Being introduced in the final to the sounds of Rocky – Alfie knew that this was the time to deliver. Taking another 1.44 seconds off his PB Alfie took the silver medal in a Long Course time of 2:50.37, which converts to 2:48.37 Short Course.
Alifie becomes the first Titan to win a Midlands medal and to the best of my knowledge the only Shropshire Club swimmer to do so this Championships.
Alfie & I partied long into the night watching Alvin & the Chipmunks back in our hotel room.
Hannah Greene, Alfie Pardoe and Elliot Hughes
Sunday
On the Sunday Hannah Green secured 22nd place in the 11/u 100m freestyle in a time of 1:11.73 (Converted Short Course 1:10.53).
Next up was Alfie in the 10/u boys 400m freestyle. Leading his heat from start to finish Alfie smashed a full 15+ seconds off his PB finishing overall 5th in a Long Course time of 5:27.73, which converts to 5:23.43 Short Course.
A few hours later Alfie was back in action in the 200m IM – in which he secured 8th place going into the final in a new Long Course PB of 3:00.41, which converts to 2:58.21 Short Course. In the final – he moved up one position finishing 7th.
Just 25 minutes later Alfie was back in the pool in the 100m freestyle – where – clearly exhausted - he finished a disappointing 24th in a time of 1:17.63 (1:16.53 Short Course) which was slower than he had swum the first 100m of his 400m.
However in the following 100m freestyle heat Elliot Hughes was clearly back in form - coming 7th in a new Long Course PB of 1:11.73 which converts to 1:10.13 Short Course.
In the 400m 11/u girls freestyle Hannah came 18th in a Long Course time of 5:28.41 which converts to 5:24.11 Short Course.