Swimming feed - This is Grimsby

British air rifle champion Charlotte Whitaker targets shot at Olympics

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 08:00:00 GMT

KEELBY teenager Charlotte Whitaker is gunning for a place at the 2012 Olympic Games after a superb season which has seen her crowned as British Junior Women's Air Rifle Champion.

The 18-year-old had only been competing with air rifles for nine months when she secured victory in a tense shoot-out in London.

She then fired her way to two gold medals, a silver and two bronzes at the Junior International competition in Bisley.

Representing Great Britain, she was part of winning teams in the prone rifle and three-position rifle events.

Her silver came in the women's air rifle section and her two bronzes in the individual air event and three-position air team competition.

And now she has made an impression on the international stage, the 2012 Olympics and 2014 Commonwealth Games are in her sights.

Her dad Darren said: "The 2014 Commonwealth Games are the target but the team has not yet been announced for 2012 and at the rate she's going, you never know.

"To shoot at such an event has always been a dream which seemed so out of reach but now seems within reach."

At the British Championships, there was just 0.1 of a point separating the first three.

Charlotte explained: "After each round, the scoreboard updates so spectators can follow what is going on.

"The shooters do not look at it, though, as it can destroy you if you start trying to add it all up.

"I only knew I had won when everyone started running towards me.

"My dad was in tears, he couldn't watch the final."

Although Charlotte had only been shooting air rifles for a relatively short time before her success, she had been shooting .22 rifles for five years previous to that.

She was introduced to the sport by her grandmother, Janet. Her older sister, Sophie, also shoots.

Charlotte recently received confirmation that she will continue on the England Shooting Academy scheme.

This entails travelling to Wolverhampton every 2-3 months for intensive training, fitness tests and lifestyle advice.

She continued: "I have got a Junior International competition in London coming up soon, in which I will be competing against girls from South Africa, Germany and Denmark.

"Ultimately I would love to be picked for the Commonwealth Games."

This year's Games take place in Delhi, India, next month.

Meanwhile, the talented shooter is now nearing the end of her hairdressing course at the Grimsby Institute.

After completion of her studies, she hopes to be a mobile hairdresser, which will give her added flexibility to combine work with training and competition. Charlotte is sponsored by Skin Solutions International's Caroleann Sinclair.

Tears for Kate Haywood after 100m breaststroke disqualification

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

GRIMSBY swimmer Kate Haywood's European Championship campaign opened in floods of tears after she was controversially disqualified from the 100m breaststroke.

Haywood was in contention throughout her heat and looked set to succeed where teenage starlet and fellow Brit Achieng Ajulu-Bushell had failed in Budapest by making the later stages.

However, eagle-eyed judges believed they had spotted Haywood, pictured, produce an illegal flutter kick at the start and instantly disqualified the Commonwealth silver medallist.

Officials from the British Gas Swimming Team lodged an immediate protest but it was rejected by Margaret Island officials and Haywood was forced to sit out the evening's semi-final.

The 23-year-old was inconsolable after the race and rushed through the mixed zone in tears before later voiced her frustrations on her Twitter page.

"Absolutely gutted, disqualified for something I didn't even do. I'm so unlucky rite [sic] now," she wrote on her home page. "I was disqualified for a flutter kick on the start!

"We did protest but they wouldn't look at the footage! Gutted but still got the 50m and the relay!"

Haywood is scheduled to return to the water on Saturday when she and Ajulu-Bushell – who flopped on the day she became the first black woman to swim for Britain – will contest the 50m freestyle.

Kate Haywood: Double Euro medal haul feels incredible

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

KATE Haywood's injury nightmare melted away in Hungary as the Grimsby swimmer scooped gold and silver at the European Swimming Championships.

Haywood travelled to Budapest still suffering from a long-term hip injury and thought her run of bad luck would continue in Budapest when she was disqualified from the 100m breaststroke earlier in the week.

But the 23-year-old finally had something to smile about as she took silver in the 50m breaststroke before helping the women's 4x100m medley relay team top the podium.

And Haywood – who also claimed European 50m breaststroke silver four years ago in Budapest – admits she has to pinch herself to be returning home with two medals around her neck.

"Two medals is absolutely incredible because I actually thought I was going to come to Budapest and get none," she said.

"It just feels so amazing after the year I have had – in truth it was enough just to come here and race after the year I have had so to go away with two medals is incredible.

"I just wanted to be back competing and back racing with the team and for myself because it was very hard while I was out.

"It has been a really, really tough year, I have been doing my rehab and trying to get back to where I was."

Haywood's time of 31.12 seconds in the 50m breaststroke took 0.29 seconds off her personal best set five years ago.

But she still had enough in the tank to help the medley team of Gemma Spofforth, Fran Halsall and Amy Smith to gold, but only after Russia were disqualified for an illegal changeover.

Yet after her run of misfortune, Haywood believes it is about time she got a break, and she said: "To get disqualified in the 100m at the start of the week just left me so angry and so frustrated so to come back and for the girls to get the relay gold was amazing.

"I think we really deserved it as well so it has just been a brilliant week and that was a great way to finish.

"My 50m was a personal best and I have not done a personal best in that in God knows how many years, I'm not quite there yet because it has been quite a lot for my hip and my leg to deal with but two medals I am really chuffed."

The nation's leading energy supplier British Gas is the Principal Partner of British Swimming, and have pledged £15m to support the sport at all levels – from paddling pool to podium. For more information visit www.britishgas.co.uk/swimming

Teenage swimmer James Burke notches ten best times at meet

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

THIRTEEN-year-old swimmer James Burke was in stunning form for CASA at the Rotherham Metro AS Club A & B Graded short-course meet.

The teenager produced personal best times in each of his 10 races gaining him seven speeding tickets, one gold, one silver and one bronze in the A grade results.

And he wasn't alone in being a swimmer in fine form at the meet.

Natalie Sharman, 14, swam PB's in all but one of her races gaining four speeding tickets, two golds, two silver and two bronze medals (A grade).

And 12-year-old Charlie Spencer achieved one speeding ticket, three golds, three silver and two bronze (A grade) along with a silver in the B grade.

Sharman and Kiera Lansley-Hogg earned themselves joint Top Girls on the day and the club was second in the points table on 284 behind Borough of Kirklees on 298 and in front of Warrington on 234.

The meet saw a staggering 60-plus swimmers from the club competing – ranging in ages from 10 – 21 compete at Sheffield's Ponds Forge International Pool.

Some of them were competing for the very first time in an 'open meet' and the results were commendable.

As a 'graded meet', swimmers that swim faster than the entry time are given a 'speeding ticket' (ST) and the remainder are graded into A or B grades depending upon their times.

Almost every one of their swimmers produced a personal best (PB) in at least one event and many achieved best times in all races.

RESULTS

'A' Grade achievers: James Burke – seven ST, one gold, one silver and one bronze; Natalie Sharman – four ST, two golds, two silver and two bronze medals; Charlie Spencer – one ST, three golds, three silver and two bronze (A grade) along with a silver in the B grade; Miles Anderson – one bronze; Savannah Cheung – three ST, one gold, three silver; Sophie Cragg – one gold, one silver, one bronze; Courtney Elford – two gold, two bronze; Josh Farrell – one ST, one gold, one silver; Ashleigh Fletcher – one ST, two silver, one bronze; Finley Fox – one ST, two gold, five silver, one bronze; Bradley Horsfall – three ST, one gold, one silver; Zoe Lansley-Hogg – two silver, two bronze; Grace Lister – five ST, three silver; Thomas Owen – one gold, two bronze; Kieran Sharman – one gold; Nathan Sharman – two ST, two gold, two bronze; Charlotte Steels – four ST, three gold; Scott Strong – one bronze; James Todd – two ST; Molly Unwin – two silver, one bronze; Thomas Wells – one gold, two silver, two bronze; Holly Williams – one ST, two gold; Michelle Zeitsman – one ST, one silver.

'B' Grade achievers: Emily Bartlett-Moore – one gold, two bronze; George Cassidy – two silver, one bronze; Joseph Catley – one gold, one bronze; Eleanor Chafer – one bronze; Danielle Crump – one bronze; Charlotte Ebbs – one silver, one bronze; Kieran Ebbs – one gold, one silver, two bronze; Ashleigh Fletcher – one silver; Becci Foster – two gold, two silver, two bronze; Lauren Gabbitas – one silver; Hannah Holden – one silver, two bronze; Drew Horsfall – two silver; Kristina Howes – two gold; Charles Kenny – one silver; Kiera Lansley-Hogg – one gold, four silver, three bronze; Cian Patrick – one gold, one silver; Sven Schygiol – one gold, one bronze; Nathan Sharman – one silver; Jasmin Smith – one gold, one silver, two bronze; Francesca Stanford – one gold, one bronze; Scott Strong – one gold; Olivia Sullivan – two silver; Lily Thompson – one silver; Jacob Wenman – one silver, one bronze; Nathan Wood – one gold.

Cleethorpes and District Swimming Club quartet break relay records

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

FOUR masters swimmers from Cleethorpes and District Swimming Club competed at Barnet in London and came away with a host of medals.

They competed in three relays, winning two and setting new British records.

Masters relays are based on the combined ages of the swimmers, and the records came in the 160 to 199 years age group.

Three local swimmers, Andrew Carr, Andrew Gristwood and Carolyn Riley were joined by Sheffield-based sprint specialist, Lynne Dawson.

The quartet set records in the 4x100m freestyle relay and 4x100m medley relay.

They also finished a creditable second in the 4x200m freestyle relay.

In the individual events, Carr took gold in the 40 to 44 years 800m freestyle, 400m individual medley and 100m breastroke and took silver in the 200m individual medley.

Gristwood took silver in the 45 to 49 years 400m and 800m freestyle and 200m backstroke.

Riley, in what may be her last competitive swim for some time as she is now concentrating on her road running, took silver in the 200m individual medley and bronze in the 100m breastroke and 800m freestyle.

Kate Haywood ready for battle on banks of Danube

Sat, 07 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

KATE Haywood admits she will travel to the European Championships in Budapest with just one aim in mind – winning a battle of Britain on the banks of the Danube.

The 23-year-old travels to the Hungarian capital having spent the majority of the year recovering from surgery on her hip and playing second fiddle to adopted Brit Achieng Ajulu-Bushell.

Haywood was forced to surrender her British 100m breaststroke title to Ajulu-Bushell in March as she not only qualified for the Europeans but the Commonwealth Games – the main aim for 2010 – as well.

Grimsby-born former Louth Dolphin Haywood had to settle for silver with her time of 1:09.56mins not good enough to seal her passage to Delhi in two months time.

Haywood will bid to do so at the European Championships, but insists settling for second again behind teenager Ajulu-Bushell – who used to swim for Kenya – isn't an option.

"Going to the Europeans is better than going to another trials and having to race against myself," said Haywood – who will swim the 50m and 100m breaststrokes in Budapest.

"To qualify for the Commonwealths I had to win back in March. You could still go if you finished second, which I did, but then you had to hit a time and I was just outside that.

"The second fastest person, essentially, will go but I am getting nearer to my personal best every time I'm in the pool and I want to be going as the fastest British girl.

"I want to go out to the Europeans, race as fast as I can, make finals and be the fastest British breaststroker going to the Commonwealths.

"The breaststroke is strong in Europe and the Europeans are a good chance to go out and race quick against the best swimmers in the world and hopefully the competition will push me to go fast."

While Ajulu-Bushell has youth on her side, Haywood has proven experience at the European Championships having scooped silver in the 50m breaststroke in Hungary back in 2006.

Haywood won European 4x100m medley gold two years later in Eindhoven but openly admits that she has not 100 per-cent recovered from surgery on her hip last year.

She concedes the problem may always be there and with that and the Commonwealth Games in mind concedes she isn't aiming for further European medals in Budapest.

"I still have a problem and the hip still isn't back to normal and I still can't train a full amount on my breaststroke kick," she added.

"It takes a long time for an injury like the one I have had to heal and it could be like it forever – but fitness-wise I am back to where I was before it all.

"And for me at the moment I am not shooting for medals at the Europeans. I want to get back swimming quicker than I ever have been and anything on top of that would be a bonus."

Lloyds TSB, proud partner of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and supporter of Team GB on their journey to London 2012. LloydsTSB.com/London2012

Sharp shooter Jack Wilkinson of North Kelsey fires England to gold

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 08:00:00 GMT

A LINCOLNSHIRE teenager is celebrating after helping the England Junior Clay Pigeon shooting team to two gold medals.

Jack Wilkinson, of North Kelsey, took part in the Home Internationals and the British Open, both of which were held in Falkirk, Scotland.

The 16-year-old contributed to a pair of great showings by the national side and came away with a brace of good wins to his name.

Jack competes in a form of clay pigeon shooting known as Down The Line (DTL), which involves shooting at 100 targets.

The maximum score possible is 300 – which would require the shooter to hit all 100 targets with their first barrel.

Such is the quality required to succeed in the event at the highest level, even juniors like Jack regularly score in the 290s.

To qualify for the England team, the former Caistor Yarborough pupil took part in a series of selection shoots.

His mother, Georgie, said: "We are very proud of him. It is a difficult thing to achieve.

"He has shown dedication, and has had the support of his family and friends.

"He enjoys what he does and makes it look easy sometimes.

"You need skill and accuracy, but concentration and how you handle your nerves is key.

"When you get to the last few shots knowing you need to hit them, you have to be able to hold your nerve."

Jack has just finished school and is now hoping for a place at Bishop Burton College on the north bank, where he intends to study countryside management and gamekeeping.

A fan of many country pursuits, he became involved in shooting through his family.

Jack's grandad was a game shooter, and his father, Brian, shot for the county.

His elder brother, Matthew, also shot for the England Junior team.

Jack plans to work through the summer months, helping with his family's farming and building businesses.

He hopes to compete again at the European Championships in Dorset later this year, and is also gunning for a place in the England junior team for a different shooting discipline – the Automatic Bull Trap (ABT) category.

Swimming star Leah Altoft ready to splash and dash at nationals

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 08:00:00 GMT

CLEETHORPES and Scunthorpe Aquatics swimming star Leah Altoft has qualified for a prestigious national championship in eight different events.

Seven swimmers from the club demonstrated their growing reputation in the water by booking swims in a total of 20 events at the British Gas ASA National Age Group and Youth Championships, which is currently taking place at Sheffield's Ponds Forge international Sports Centre.

Altoft, a year 10 pupil at Caistor Grammar School, qualified in the 100m and 200m breaststroke, the 100m butterfly, the 200m and 400m individual medley, and the 100m and 200m backstroke.

Callum Gladding, a year eight pupil at King Edward School, Louth, qualified in the 200m butterfly, as well as the 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle events.

Maisie Legge, a year eight pupil at Humberston Comprehensive, met the qualification times in the 800m and 1500m freestyle.

Samuel Legge, a year six pupil at Signhills, will compete in the 400m individual medley.

Jack Newton, a year seven pupil at Queen Elizabeth High School, Gainsborough, will take part in the 100m and 200m butterfly events.

Thomas Paine, a year 11 pupil at Caistor Grammar School, qualified in the 400m individual medley and 800m freestyle.

And Oliver Webster, a year eight pupil at the Tollbar BEC, will represent CASA in the 400m Individual Medley.

The National Championships represent the pinnacle of competitive swimming for the younger swimmers, with the qualifying times extremely difficult to achieve.

If CASA's swimmers perform well at the event they could be offered opportunities to train at national swimming camps and be selected to compete for their country.

The ASA National Age Group Championships take place until Sunday before the Youth event lasts from Tuesday to Saturday, August 7.

The Age Group Championships are for girls aged 11–13 years and boys aged 11–14 years, with the Youth event for girls aged 14–17 years and boys aged 14–18 years.

Cleethorpes and District Swimming Club/CASA welcomes swimmers of all abilities and offer learn-to-swim lessons through to top-level competition training. For more information or a no-obligation trial, contact chief coach Paul Woodley on 07758 876295 or visit the club's website: www.cadsclub.co.uk.

Cads trio find medal-winning form

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 08:00:00 GMT

THREE members of Cleethorpes and District Swimming Club took part in the Great Britain Long Course Championships at Glasgow's Tollcross international pool.

Sally Osbourne returned to competitive swimming after a gap of two years.

Her last competition was the open water swim in the World Championships in Perth.

Now competing in the 75 to 79 years age group, Sally was in good form and took gold medals in all three breaststroke events – the 50m, 100m and 200m.

Former international Andrew Carr, competing in his final long course championships in the 40 to 44 years age group, took gold in the 400m individual medley and silver in the 800m freestyle – which was a close event with only a second separating the first three swimmers.

Andrew Gristwood, who competes in the 45 to 49 years section, had his best result in the 400m individual medley, in which he took silver.

In addition, he took bronze in the 200m and 800m freestyle and 200m butterfly.

The two Andrews have both shown significant improvements in the last year since taking advice and following training plans set by local coach Alan Keenan, who is now planning towards this year's world championships in Sweden and the national shortcourse championships at Sheffield in October.

James king of the pool at age group champs

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 08:00:00 GMT

SWIMMERS representing Cleethorpes and Scunthorpe Aquatics (CASA) travelled to the Ponds Forge 50m pool in Sheffield to compete in the North East Region British Age Group Category championships.

Spread over two weekends, the swimmers needed qualifying times to compete.

Nearly all of CASA's swimmers produced personal best (pb) swims in at least one event – giving CASA an outstanding performance against the big city clubs.

James Burke had a fantastic fortnight, with personal best times in most of his races.

He earned gold medals in the boys' 12 years 100m backstroke, 200m freestyle and 100m freestyle and a bronze medal in the 200m backstroke, with further swims in the 400m freestyle final (6th), the 100m butterfly (6th) and the 200m IM (9th) securing him fourth place in the boys' overall 12-year-old age group awards.

Oliver Webster, also on form, gained gold in the boys' 12 years 400m individual medley with a national qualifying time, gold for the 200m individual medley and also for the 200m breaststroke.

The latter was a personal best time 2:45.63 – unfortunately outside the national qualifying time by 0.01 of a second.

Oliver also won three silver medals for the 200m butterfly, 200m freestyle and 400m freestyle, and a bronze for the 100m breaststroke.

He gained seventh place in the 100m freestyle final, giving him a clear lead in the points.

Maisie Legge, 12, and brother Samuel Legge, 11, both swam exceptionally well.

Maisie achieved a pb in the 800m freestyle and another best in the 1500m freestyle – giving her national qualifying times for both events and a bronze medal for each. She also won 400m individual bronze in week one.

Maisie swam in further finals and took fifth place in the girls' 12 years BAGCAT points.

Samuel secured a swim at the National Championships in July in the boys' 11 years 400m IM. He also swam in three other finals.

Two outstanding weekends for 13-year-old Callum Gladding saw him achieve a hat-trick of national qualifying times in the 400m freestyle (bronze) , 800m freestyle (gold) and 200m butterfly (silver).

Other finalists over the two weekends included Joshua Jones (13), Tom Wells (13), Holly Williams (12), Caitlin Bower (13), Charlie Spencer (12), Savannah Cheung (13), and Grace Lister (10).

Team events over the two weekends were strongly-fought by CASA's swimmers, with the best placing by the boys 11/14 years 400m medley team (seventh) – James Burke, Oliver Webster, Kieran Skinner and Callum Gladding.

Golden Leah in fantastic form

Sat, 05 Jun 2010 08:00:00 GMT

LEAH Altoft put in a top-class performance for Cleethorpes and Scunthorpe Aquatics by qualifying for six finals in a national competition.

Competing in the British Gas ASANER (Amateur Swimming Association North East Region) Youth and Senior Championships at Sunderland Aquatics Centre, the 14-year-old achieved six tough qualification times against older opposition.

She qualified for six finals and competed in five of those, her best finish a fifth place in the 400m individual medley.

Thomas Paine also came an outstanding seventh in the youth 1500m freestyle.

Altoft, pictured, was also in medal-winning form at the Derventio Excel Open at Ponds Forge, Sheffield.

She won a gold medal in the girls' Under-14 backstroke and achieved a national qualifying time in the 100m backstroke.

That added the NQTs she achieved earlier this year in 100m breaststroke, 200m breaststroke, 100m butterfly, 200m butterfly, 200m individual medley and 400m individual medley.

Team-mate Callum Gladding also won a gold medal, in the Under-13 boys' 200m butterfly.

Paine also finished second in the 400m individual medley.

CASA finished the team event in fourth position behind Derby, Sunderland and Doncaster Dartes.

Gladding was on form as the club claimed two medals at the Radford Open Meet at Ponds Forge.

He finished second in the boys' 12-13 years 1500m, with Oliver Webster also on the podium in third.

Gladding achieved a national qualifying time while a number of other CASA swimmers achieved district qualifying times.

Meanwhile, CASA swimmers have also been in action in the Lincs League Team Gala at Grimsby Pool at Scartho and at Spalding.

CASA White faced strong teams including Lincoln Vulcans A, CASA Green (Scunthorpe), along with Grantham, Vulcans B and CLP.

And five swimmers managed first-place finishes: Alex Donington in the Open 100m breaststroke with a personal best time of 1:11.07; Holly Smith in the Under-14 100m breaststroke with a pb of 1:27.26; Michelle Zietsman in the Under-10 years 50m breaststroke; the girls' Under-10 four by one freestyle relay team, comprising Michelle Zietsman, Ellie Buxton, Madison Steel and Jodie Unwin; and the boys' Under-14 four by two freestyle relay team, comprising Tom Owen, Fred Rogers, Drew Horsfall and Andy Clavijo.

CASA White finished fourth as a team thanks to numerous swimmers putting in pb times.

At Spalding, CASA Red produced 13 first-place swims and 14 second places that guided them to a 216-point team victory.

Eight swimmers won their individual events: Olivia Sullivan in the Under -12 backstroke, with a pb of 39.80; Altoft in the open 100m breaststroke and open 100m butterfly; Lily Wishart in the ten years 50m butterfly, with a pb of 42.21, and in the ten years 50m breaststroke; James Burke in the Under-14 100m breaststroke, with a pb of 1:09.34; James Todd in the open100m butterfly with a pb of 1:03.82; Grace Lister in the ten years 50m freestyle and ten years 50m backstroke; Michael Dzieweczynski in the Under-14s 100m breaststroke with a pb of 1:22.69; and Charlotte Steels in the open 100m backstroke.

Two girls medley teams also saw to victory: the open four by two quartet of Savannah Cheung, Altoft, Stef Gladding and Steels; and the Under-12 four by two team of Lister, Sophie Cragg, Sullivan and Wishart.

Elizabeth Gaskell and Ellie Buxton swam in their debut first-team galas, at Spalding and Grimsby respectively.

Both were understandably very nervous but Gaskell helped her team to second place in both the Under-10 four by one freestyle and the Under-10 four by one medley. Buxton competed in the same races at Grimsby, helping her team secure first and second places respectively.

Grimsby swimmer Kate Haywood ready to fly the flag for Britain

Mon, 31 May 2010 08:00:00 GMT

GRIMSBY swimmer Kate Haywood insists it is high time she stopped going through the motions and started making an international impact.

The 23-year-old looked to have a golden career ahead of her after claiming her first senior international medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games as part of England's 4x100m medley relay team.

But despite upgrading that to silver in 2006 and also claiming the same colour in the 50m breaststroke at the European Championships that year, Haywood has yet to live up to her potential.

Two world finals and an Olympic semi-final have followed since her efforts in Budapest four years ago but not another medal, with a serious hip injury suffered last year summing up her woes.

However, with 2010 presenting Haywood with the opportunity to race at the European Championships and potentially the Commonwealth Games, she has vowed to change her luck.

"I was out for a while because of my hip injury and I think it makes you think about things a lot more and it has made me a lot more determined," said Haywood – who was officially confirmed on the 35-strong British team for the Europeans at a warm-weather training camp, powered by British Gas, in Mallorca this week.

"In the past I have just floated along and gone to competitions and not made much of a difference.

"I haven't done any best times and I have been really disappointed but now I just want to be more focused and do better."

More in today's Telegraph

Swimming club folds leaving 40 years of memories

Thu, 06 May 2010 08:00:00 GMT

THE closing of one of the area's best known and longest-established swimming clubs has been branded "a sad day" by its chairman.

Grimsby Santa Marina Swimming Club, which was established in 1969, folded earlier this year with its youngsters competing for the final time at the Rotherham Metro Open Meet in Ponds Forge, Sheffield.

Created by a group of aqua enthusiasts – including the 1950s English Channel swimmer Brenda Fisher – the club has taught thousands of children from the area how to swim, and achieved great success competitively.

But a lack of resources forced Santa Marina's organisers to finally call it a day after more than 40 years.

Speaking to the Telegraph, GSM's chairman Ken Brocklesby explained: "It was a sad day but it was also what the town has needed for a long time. Grimsby is too small a place to accommodate two clubs .

"To compete against the big clubs you've got to have a membership of about 300-400 kids, which we didn't have.

"The club closed basically because we couldn't get a coach and if you haven't got a coach people move to a club that has.

"We had a really good coach in Mark Foster, but he has moved on to the ASA (Amateur Swimming Association) now, helping them prepare for the 2012 Olympics.

"It was also costing us more than £50,000 a year for pool hire, and we just couldn't afford it."

Brocklesby, who had been involved in the club since 1970 with his wife Mo, explained that many of Santa Marina's young swimmers have moved on to the neighbouring Cleethorpes and District Swimming Club.

"We've finished the club but we've integrated with CADS, so all our kids are swimming with them now, which is a good thing," he commented.

"We've been advocating that the two clubs join together for 10-15 years now, so this is the solution.

"A lot of people in the area will have learnt to swim at Santa Marina, there have been thousands come through over the years.

"We have some great memories and had a lot of success in competitions – at one stage the whole of the Lincolnshire team were Santa Marina swimmers.

"We've been lucky and met a lot of wonderful people through the club – it wouldn't have achieved so much and made such a difference without so many fantastic volunteers."

CADS duo secure Masters medals

Tue, 04 May 2010 07:30:00 GMT

TWO swimmers from Cleethorpes and District Swimming Club took part in the annual Midland Masters Championships at Royal Leamington Spa.

With the bad weather preventing them competing earlier in the year, this was their first competition since December.

Neither Andrew Carr nor Andrew Gristwood swam to their best, but they are hoping it is a stepping stone on their way to the National Long Course Championships at Glasgow in June.

Former international Carr, competing in the 40-44 age group, secured gold in the 100m and 200m breaststroke and 200m and 400m individual medley. The latter was his best swim of the weekend.

He also swam well to secure bronze in the 200m backstroke.

His training partner, Gristwood, who competes in the 45-49 years section, secured silver medals in the 400m freestyle and individual medley and 200m butterfly.

He also took bronze in the 100m and 200m freestyle, and 200m breastroke.

Their recent medley training regime is having some success as his best result was also in the 400m individual medley.

Kate books her place

Sat, 03 Apr 2010 05:30:00 GMT

KATE Haywood declared her British Gas Swimming Championships a job well done after sealing her place in the GB team for this summer's European Championships.

Haywood, who celebrated her 23rd birthday on Thursday, was second in last night's 100m breaststroke final with her time of 1.09.56 minutes only bettered by Plymouth Leander flyer Achieng Ajulu-Bushell.

But, after overcoming her well-documented hip injury just to line-up in Sheffield, Haywood was content to play second fiddle for once with her display enough to ensure a trip to Budapest this August.

"It was a little bit annoying to have missed out on winning the race. Everyone knows I have had problems in the run-up to the tournament," she said.

"But second place sill gives me a spot in the Europeans which I am absolutely delighted about.

"I am ecstatic with my times during the meet. They have been way above what I had expected."

With a second opportunity to make the Commonwealth Games squad to come at the Europeans, Haywood vowed to do all she can to make the plane to Delhi in October.

The nation's leading energy supplier British Gas is the Principal Partner of British Swimming, and have pledged £15m to support the sport – from paddling pool to podium. For more information visit www.britishgas.co.uk/swimming

Competition goes swimmingly for CASA youngsters

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 08:00:00 GMT

NATALIE Sharman and Tom Wells were among Cleethorpes & Scunthorpe Aquatics' stars of a busy weekend of competition.

Two events on the same weekend saw a large number of swimmers travelling to either Ponds Forge in Sheffield for the Rotherham Metro Open Meet or to the City of Liverpool Open Meet.

Over two days at Ponds Forge, 53 CASA swimmers took part in a staggering 358 individual events, with many making the rostrum for their efforts – too many to name them all individually.

The swimmers achieved 90 County Qualifying Times and a number of District Qualifying Times, with CASA finishing in fourth place on the Top Club table out of 33 clubs taking part.

Special mention must go to Sharman and Wells who were overall Top Girl and Top Boy at the meet. An outstanding achievement given the large number of swimmers taking part – 398 girls and 317 boys.

Although not as many swimmers travelled to the Level 1 meet at Liverpool Aquatics Centre, they too achieved outstanding results.

Fourteen swimmers competed in 77 events and amassed 75 County Champs Qualifying Times, 48 District Qualifying times and three National Youth Champs Qualifying times.

Fourteen-year-old Leah Altoft achieved her National times in 200m butterfly, 200m individual medley and 400m individual medley, winning the 200m and 400m individual medley events. Oliver Webster took the honours in the boys 12 years 200m and 400m individual medley, and came second in the 400m and 1500m freestyle.

Other fine performances came from Sam Legge, who came second in the 10 years 200m and 400m Freestyle, 200m Backstroke, 200m Butterfly, 200m Breaststroke and 200m Individual Medley.

Callum Galdding, Josh Jones, Lauren York, Thomas Paine, Jasmine Kirk, Zoe Lansley-Hogg, and Ashleigh Fletcher also managed top-three places.

Haywood into final

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 05:30:00 GMT

KATE Haywood admitted she has exceeded all her expectations at the British Gas Swimming Championships in Sheffield after making the final of the 100m breaststroke.

Grimsby-born Haywood celebrated her 23rd birthday at Ponds Forge in style by qualifying for the 100m breaststroke final as the second fastest qualifier in a time of 1:09.68 minutes.

Plymouth Leander flyer Achieng Ajulu-Bushell continued her golden form in the Steel City to finish as the fastest qualifier little under a second quicker than Haywood in 1:08.84 minutes.

Haywood, a former Louth Dolphin, will be bidding for a ticket to the Commonwealth Games as well as gold tonight but insists she didn't think she would ever get to this point after her notorious hip injury.

"I am really pleased with that and after what has happened I have just been told to dive in and swim and she what happens," said Haywood.

"But things have slowly been getting better considering I have only had a handful of training sessions and am not in the greatest shape because of it.

"But I am really looking forward to the final now and to have set 1:09 in the semi-final has given a great deal of confidence.

"I didn't even think it was possible to set 1:09 with the injury I have had but I did it and I would love to go faster in the final."

Haywood's injury problems before and during the British Championships have been well documented and she had another injury of a different kind to contend with in the mornings heats.

The former Louth Dolphin cut her finger on the starting blocks before recovering to finish second and has pleaded with Lady Luck to begin shining on her.

"The first 50 metres of the swim I was wondering what it was flapping around, then I realised I had cut my finger," she added.

"It has been a horrible few months and nothing seems to be going for me but I am getting back to fitness slowly but surely and hoping things will turn around.

"I was really pleased with the time during the heats – I only started training probably at the end of January and the signs are positive."

Clee's King James rules in the pool

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 05:30:00 GMT

JAMES Burke was one of the stars of the show at the British Gas Yorkshire Swimming Association Championships.

Cleethorpes swimmer Burke claimed gold in the boys' 12 years 50m freestyle in Sheffield.

His gold was one of four medals for the Cleethorpes and Scunthorpe Aquatics club (Casa) in the singles races, with Oliver Webster and Scott Zimmerman adding to the haul with bronze medals, while Burke himself added another bronze.

The finals took place at the Ponds Forge 50m pool, with the team events taking place the following day.

Casa fared well in those too, with four teams from the club earning podium places.

The Casa girls' 15/16 years 200m freestyle team of Lauren York, Ashleigh Fletcher, Jasmine Kirk, and Rhiannon Haber won bronze, and the boys' 9/10 years 200m freestyle side, made up of Nathan East, Travis Johnson, Scott Zimmerman and Sam Legge, won silver.

The Casa boys' 11/12 years 200m freestyle team were beaten to first place by less than a second by the City of Leeds club.

The team, made up of Burke, Charlie Spencer, Thomas Wells and Webster, were desperately unlucky to only finish with silver.

And the same swimmers also competed in the boys' 11/12 years 200m medley race, earning bronze.

Overall, Casa finished the finals in fourth place behind Leeds, Borough of Kirklees and Sheffield, out of a total of 26 teams.

The club also entered 26 teams into Sunday's team events and made 12 finals.

Other finalists in the singles events were Caitlin Bower, Sophie Cragg, Michael Dzieweczynski, Lauren Gwynne, Sam Legge, Kieran Skinner and Thomas Wells.

Casa, coached by Dan Higgon, had five finalists in the team events – the men's 17 years and over 200m medley and freestyle team, the girls' 11/12 years, 13/14 years and 15/16 years 200m medley teams, and the boys' 15/16 years 200m freestyle medley team.

The final sprints added to the final point scores in the British Age Group Categories (BAGCATS) for swimmers competing over three weekend qualifying events.

The club did tremendously well to have winners on the podium for these awards and even had two in the boys' 12 years category – Oliver Webster and James Burke, who finished 1st and 2nd respectively, and Sam Legge, who finished 2nd in the boys' 10 years age group.

Haywood pulls plug

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 05:30:00 GMT

GRIMSBY'S Kate Haywood admits a safety-first approach to Commonwealth Games qualifying forced her to pull out of her opening event of the British Gas Swimming Championships in Sheffield.

The 22-year-old almost retired after undergoing surgery on her troublesome hip in September but looked back to her best as she finished second quickest in the 50m breaststroke at the Commonwealth trials.

Haywood clocked 32.17secs to follow home Kenyan flyer Achieng Ajulu-Bushell and seal her place in the afternoon final.

But with selection for the Games being decided on her performances in Thursday's 100m event, Haywood opted not to push her luck.

"It is good practise but I have pulled out of it at the semi-final stage because I have had a bad hip," said Haywood.

"I had surgery back in September and because I can't qualify I don't want to injure it in this event before the 100m on Thursday.

"It is a bit sore at the moment because I have been kicking harder than I have done for a while but the pain comes and goes.

"It has affected my training massively coming into the event. I had it in September and I was out for a long time so I don't want to take any risks."

Haywood claimed Commonwealth bronze in the 4x100m medley final at the 2002 Games in Manchester before claiming silver in the same event in Melbourne four years later.

But after revealing she was still limited in the pool by her hip troubles, the 2008 50m world short course silver medallist is battling against the odds to add the final piece of the jigsaw to her collection in Delhi.

"I started back with my group back in January but even now I can't do as much of a kick as I'd like," said Haywood.

"It is tough when you have something like that in the back of your mind and I'm certainly at a disadvantage,

"The 50m breaststroke was all right. It's not my main event though. My main event is 100m so I wanted to just test the water before that.

"It was still pretty important for me to have a swim and see where I was but I couldn't qualify from it so I have prioritised the 100m.

"I'm still on track, though, because that was my plan before I came here, so there are no worries from me. I just hope I can get another good swim in the 100m."

The nation's leading energy supplier British Gas is the Principle Partner of British Swimming, and have pledged £15m to support the sport at all levels - from paddling pool to podium. For more information visit www.britishgas.co.uk/swimming

Kate: I nearly ended career

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 06:30:00 GMT

GRIMSBY-born Kate Haywood admits her ongoing injury woes have almost driven her to retirement ahead of her first competitive swim in a year at the British Gas Swimming Championships.

The 22-year-old has struggled both physically and mentally since tearing the cartilage in her hip shortly after winning 100m breaststroke gold at the British Championships this time last year.

Instead of preparing for the Rome World Championships in July, Haywood was preparing herself for surgery and spent nearly two months recovering on crutches.

The former Louth Dolphin has since returned to the pool, but only tentatively, with surgeons advising her that it could take as long as 12 months for her to recover fully.

Haywood is still feeling the effects of her operation but, after thinking long and hard about her future, has vowed to take the rough with the smooth, starting in Sheffield.

"At times I did feel like packing it all in and just doing a normal job. I even said that to my coach, Ben Titley, after the operation," said Haywood – who will turn 23 on the opening day in Sheffield on Monday

"I was sat on the sofa for three weeks and on crutches for five weeks and it was really difficult being out of the pool for so long.

"It is still difficult and it has taken a lot of work to build back up to where I want to be but I know I have to keep going.

"I am not quite there yet in terms of recovery. I still can't do a huge amount of breaststroke and the surgeons told me it can take as long as 12 months for it to fully heal.

"It is sometimes very painful and the area around it can go into spasm. I'm not 100 per cent and I just have to be careful and make sure I get enough recovery between swims in Sheffield."

The British Championships at Ponds Forge present the first opportunity for English athletes to qualify for the Commonwealth Games.

Should Haywood fail she has one last chance to qualify in Sunderland in August and, while she is not expecting miracles in 2010, she is determined to reach the Commonwealths.

"The British champs are definitely a big ask. I'm not 100 per-cent fit and there are some swimmers who are seven months ahead of me in terms of training," she added.

"It is going to be difficult to qualify but my main aim is still the Commonwealth Games. There is another opportunity in August but I will go to Sheffield and see what happens.

"There are no expectations on me to qualify and if I don't qualify I then have to make sure I qualify in August."