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Knight is top COP over long distance
IT was the turn of the long-distance swimmers to take centre-stage in the latest round of club championship races at City of Peterborough Swimming Club (COPS).
IT was the turn of the long-distance swimmers to take centre-stage in the latest round of club championship races at City of Peterborough Swimming Club (COPS).A total of 19 members took part in the 1500m races (64 lengths of the Regional Pool) and many were tackling the distance for the first time.
Of those that had previously swum the distance, 11 of them set new personal best times (PBs).
The first swimmer home was Liam Knight (14), who completed the event in a time of 17mins 37.43secs which was a new PB time by 53.15 seconds.
Second behind Knight was Ashley Binns(15) with a new PB time 17:57.29 and the third boy home was Matthew Brigham (12) in 18:26.20, which was a club record and a new PB by 9.45 seconds.
Joanne Longland (14), who finished in third place overall with 18:22.11, was top girl followed by Ellen Williams (13) in 18:55.45s and Molly Norman in 19:10.11. All three were new best times.
Two swimmers to set the biggest PBs on the night were Thomas Stokes (15), who improved his time by two minutes and 26.95 seconds, and Ben Rippon (12), who shattered his previous best by a whopping three minutes and 32 seconds.
Speaking after the event COPS head coach Ben Negus said: "I'm tremendously encouraged by the performances of all the swimmers. At a time of the season when we start to think about reaching the standard for the Regional Championships, we have several swimmers well on their way to producing qualifying times for the National Championships."
THE first round of the annual Metcalf Copeman and Pettefar Mini Meet Series produced a number of outstanding COPS performances.
Taking top spot for COPS against opposition from Milton Keynes, Kettering, St Ives, Huntingdon and Chatteris in the girls ranks was Lorna Attwood (12). She won the 50m freestyle and 50m breaststroke events in new personal best times, and came second in the 200m individual medley.
Jenny Hookham (9) also clocked up two first places in the 50m breaststroke and the 50m freestyle with a new PB in 8.3 seconds.
Four other swimmers also gained first places in their age group. Katie Green (11) achieved a first place in the 50m breaststroke, Shannon Ruff (12) in the 200m individual medley with a new PB by 4.13 seconds, and sisters Jessica (11) and Olivia Standish-Leigh (10) both took first place in their age group for the 200m individual medley.
Jessica beat her PB by 19.38 seconds and Olivia by 12.08 seconds.
In the boys ranks, top spot went to Mitchell Pears (11), who took first place in the 50m breaststroke and the 50m freestyle in which he set a new PB. Pears also took second place in the 200m freestyle with a PB of 5.48 seconds.
Ben Rippon (11) took three second places in the 50m breaststroke, 50m freestyle and 200m freestyle events setting PBs in both the freestyle races.
Also gaining a first place in the 12 years 200m freestyle was Ottavio Tanzillo (12) with a PB by 2.56 seconds.
Assistant coach Becky Adams said: "The mini-meet series is becoming a popular format with local clubs.
"Young swimmers that don't have times recorded can set down a mark and then the coaching staff can follow their progress throughout the four events."
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Sunday 12 February 2012
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