SWIMMING: COPs send their biggest squad and return with their best ever medal haul

Twenty six swimmers qualified to swim at the championships where they made 106 individual final appearances and won a total of 55 medals. COPs also entered a total of 21 relay teams and between them they

brought a further 10 medals back to Peterborough.

COPs only have 123 members in their competitive squads so their second place in the order of merit with 24 gold medals, 26 silver medals and 15 bronze underlines their growing stature on the national swimming scene under the guidance of Head coach Ben Negus.

Eighteen-year-old Mollie Allen won a total of five gold medals and set a new East Region record in the 50m backstroke. Mollie also won gold medals in the 50m and 100m freestyle, 100m backstroke and the 200m individual medley events and a silver medal in the 50m fly.

Poppy Richardson (15) won three gold medals in the 50m, 100m and 200m fly, two silvers in the 100m and 400m free and a bronze medal in the 200m free and was placed 4th in the 50m back and 400m individual medley finals.

Leah Roughan (17) won a brace of gold medals in the 100m breastroke and 400m individual medley, three silvers in the 50m and 200m breastroke and 400m free and was placed 5th in the 200m individual medley and eighth in the 200m free finals.

Lauren Harrison (15) also won two golds in the 200m breastroke and 400m individual medley, two bronze medals in the 100m breastroke and 200m fly and was placed 5th in the 200m individual medley and 800m freestyle and sixth in the 50m breastroke events.

Rachel Wellings (16) won a gold medal in the 200m individual medley, silvers in the 50m breastroke, 100m and 200m backstroke, bronze medals in the 50m back, 100m free and was fifth in the 50m freestyle final.

Rebecca Burton (18) won gold in the 50m breastroke, silver in the 200m individual medley, bronze in the 100m breastroke and came fifthth in the 100m fly and seventh in the 50m fly finals.

Jaxon Simmons (16), who swims in the S13 disability category, won gold in the 200m breastroke and silver in the 100m breastroke and 400m freestyle events.

Also winning gold medals for COPs were Taylor Goodby (18) gold- 200m fly, silver – 100m fly and 6th - 200m back final; Maddison Saunders (15) gold – 200m back, bronze 100m back and 7th 200m and 400m free and 8th 50m back finals; Harry

Whiteman (16) won gold in the 200m fly and was fourth in the 400m individual medley, fifth in the 400m and 1500m free, seventh in the 200m back and eighth in the 50m back finals.

COPs other medal winners and finalists were Harvey Norman (15) silver – 100m free, 200m free and individual medley, 400m free and individual medley, bronze – 100m fly 4th 200m back 5th 200m breastroke, 7th 100m breastroke,; Matthew Gray (16) silver – 50m 100m and 200m back; Holly Jaszkiewicz (15) silver – 200m fly, bronze – 400m individual medley,4th 400m free, 7th 50m free and 200m individual medley, 8th 100m free and fly, 200m back; Bethany Saunders (17) silver – 100m free, bronze – 100m fly, 200m free, 5th 200m free, 6th 50m fly and 100m back,; Joshua Graves (19) silver – 200m fly, 5th 400m individual medley; Aisling Ruff (18) silver – 400m individual medley, 4th 800m free, 11th 400m free; James Newton (18) bronze – 200m back, 5th 200m breastroke.

Seven COPs swimmers qualified for final appearances Cameron McRae (17) 6th 400m individual medley, 7th 100m back, 8th 50m back, 9th 400m freestyle; Will Steel (15) finals – 5th 50m fly, 6th 200m fly 8th 100m fly; Thomas Wiggins (17) 6th 200m individual medley 7th 200m breastroke; Emma Leslie (15) 6th 100m and 7th 200m back; Matthew Wouldham (15) 8th 100m and 200m breastroke; Michael Lardner (17) 6th 200m back; Christie Woods (16) 4th 400m free.

The relay squads continued COPs’ medal feast. COPs A 14-16 years old women took gold in the 4x200m freestyle (Richardson, Jaszkiewicz, Wellings, Woods), gold in the 4x100m medley (Wellings, Amelia Monaghan (13), Richardson, Woods) and gold in the 4x100m freestyle (Wellings, Richardson, A Blakeley, Poppy Leech (16)). Cops B team took the bronze medal in the 4 x 100m medley (M Saunders, Harrison, Mia Leech (13), Anna Blakeley (13)).

All four of these relay teams have qualified for the National swimming championships.

The 17 years and over women’s relay squads also took the gold medal in the 4x200m freestyle relay (Roughan, B Saunders, Allen, Ruff,) the gold in the 4x100m medley relay (Allen, Roughan, Goodby, B Saunders) and a third gold medal in the 4x100m freestyle event (Allen , B Saunders, Roughan, Burton). All three of these relay teams have also qualified for the National swimming championships.

In the 14-16 years men’s age group COPs A took the silver medal in the 4x100m (Gray, Norman, Whiteman, Myles Robinson-Young(14)) while the 4 x 200m freestyle team won the bronze medal (Whiteman, Norman, Robinson-Young, Herbie Kinder(13)). Both these teams have also qualified for the National swimming championships. COPs took their final relay medal In the 17 years and over men’s 4 x 200m freestyle event (Daniel Leigh (17), Wiggins, Newton, McRae).

COPs’ Head coach Ben Negus said: ‘this is the best ever set of results at the Youth championships. To have so many qualifiers for the championships from such a small club shows we are punching way above our weight. Every swimmer made it through to at least one final and the medals came from right across the board. To equal Hatfield (a much bigger club) on total medal count is very satisfying, but to have nine relay teams, including our girls B team, ranked in the top 30 in Great Britain and qualifying for the Summer Nationals is the crowning glory. Now the real hard work begins’.