COPS shine against Britain's best
Last week and over the weekend they were competing against the best of British at the British Summer Championships in Sheffield and this week they’ve been in action at the National Open Water Championships in Rotherham.
And they made a huge splash at both these prestigious events, picking up plenty of medals, including some of the golden variety.
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Hide AdQueen of the pool in Sheffield was once again Amelia Monaghan. A gold medallist 12 months ago, the all-round talent did even better this time round, touching first in two finals.
She won the women’s 16yrs 400m individual medley in 4.51.16 and the 200m individual medley in 2.19.06 pipping Leeds star Rebecca Clynes to the title in both.
Individual silver medals were won by Jamie Scholes (men’s 17/18yrs 1500m freestyle) and Myles Robinson-Young (men’s 16yrs 200m freestyle) and bronze medals by Scholes (men’s 17/18yrs 200m backstroke), Henry Pearce (men’s 16yrs 1500m freestyle) and Mia Leech (women’s 16 yrs 200m fly).
And then to finish COPS picked up three more medals in the relay events.
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Hide AdCOPS head coach Ben Negus said: “Without doubt this has been one of the greatest weeks in COPS history.
“To achieve what we did was an awesome feat and something the coaching team are very proud of.
“We didn’t just have one or two swimmers contribute to podiums and finals, we had lots. In total 10 different swimmers contributed to the podium!
“It is unfair to single out any one swimmer as every single member of our British Championship team performed.
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Hide Ad“Our relay teams raced so unbelievably hard and showed that one of the smallest clubs in the UK can upset the largest.”
COPS finalists
Men
17/18yrs 400m free: 4th Jamie Scholes
16yrs 200m fly: 7th Herbie Kinder
17/18yrs 100m back: 5th Jamie Scholes
16yrs 400m IM: 8 Herbie Kinder
14/16yrs 4x200m free: 2nd Herbie Kinder, Henry Pearce, Myles Robinson-Young, Matthew Rothwell
14/16yrs 4x100m free: 5th Herbie Kinder, Myles Robinson-Young, Henry Pearce, Matthew Rothwell
16yrs 200m free: 2nd Myles Robinson-Young
17/18yrs 200m back: 3rd Jamie Scholes
17/18yrs 1500m free: 2nd Jamie Scholes
16yrs 1500m free: 3rd Henry Pearce
16yrs 400m free: 5th Myles Robinson-Young
WOMEN
16 yrs 200m free: 10th Mackenzie Whyatt
16 yrs 400m IM: 1st Amelia Monaghan; 8th Mia Leech
15 yrs 100m breast: 10th Eve Wright
16yrs 200m breast: 4th Amelia Monaghan
16yrs 200m fly: 3 Mia Leech
14/16yrs 4x200m free: 2nd Mackenzie Whyatt, Mia Leech, Harriet Salisbury, Amelia Monaghan
16yrs 400m free: 4th Mia Leech; 8th Mackenzie Whyatt
16yrs 200m IM: 1st Amelia Monaghan
13/14yrs 50m back: 10th Ella McGhie
15yrs 50m back: 9th Eve Wright
17/18yrs 50m back: Rachel Wellings
16yrs 100m breast: 10th Anelia Monaghan
16yrs 100m fly: 8th Mia Leech
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Hide Ad14/16yrs 4x100m medley: 3rd Mackenzie Whyatt, Amelia Monaghan, Mia Leech, Eve Wright
COPS 1500m medal men Scholes and Pearce then moved on to Rother Valley Country Park for the National Open Water Championships this week and both smashed it.
Scholes won the 5k 17/18yrs race in 58:54 and Pearce the 5k 16yrs race in 1.01.58.
Scholes said: “It’s the second year in a row I have won and used pretty much the same tactic which was to hit it from the start.
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Hide Ad“I knew that if I got a big enough lead at the beginning, they wouldn’t be able to catch up with me.
“Open water is my main focus and, hopefully, I’ll go to the European juniors next year and some international events.”
Pearce was having only his third competitive open water swim.
He said: “I was told by a friend I should try open water swimming because he thought I’d be good at it. It turns out I am.”
Other COPS placings:
5k male 16yrs: 9th Matthew Rothwell 1.06.14.
5k female 16yrs: 4th Mackenzie Whyatt 1.06.33.
3k male 14yrs: 13th George Whiteman.
3k male 15yrs: 20th Matt Newson.