Fantastic swims over the festive period at Hailsham Swimming Club
We hope all our members have had a Merry Christmas and are looking forward to a happy and prosperous 2024!
The arrival of longer nights and the incredibly wet weather wasn't enough to dampen the spirts of Team Hailsham’s swimmers, who continued to impress throughout the months of November and December. This period has seen some impressive swims in the 2023 Arena League, the final two sessions of our 2023 Club Championships, and some excellent swimming Open Meets and Regional and National level competitions.
A look back at November competitions
November 4th to 5th – Regional Short Course (Winter) Championships 2023
The month started with Olivia Dolan travelling to Winchester to compete in the 2023 Regional Short Course (Winter) Championships. Olivia swam in the 50m backstroke, 100m backstroke, 200m backstroke, and 100m IM events, with exceptional swims just off pb pace. Everyone at Hailsham Swimming Club is proud of Olivia for competing at such a high level!
November 11th – 2023 Arena League Round 2
Team Hailsham travelled to Pavilions in the Park in Horsham for Round 2 of the 2023 Arena League season. Coming off the back of 4th place finish in Round 1, Hailsham’s swimmers went one better and secured 3rd place on the night, only narrowly missing out on 2nd place. This result secured Hailsham’s place amongst the top 7 teams in the division going into the final round on December 9th.
November 12th – National Inter-County Masters Championships
No rest for our Masters Swimmers following Arena League! Team Hailsham’s Masters swimmers Beth Collins, Paul Merchant, and James Grimmond were selected to swim for Team Sussex at the 2024 National Inter-County Masters Championships. This took place in the London Aquatics Centre, formally the 2012 Olympics competition pool, providing a fitting backdrop for some excellent swims throughout the day. Team Sussex achieved 5th place on the day, narrowly beating neighbouring county Kent. An outstanding achievement by Beth, Paul, and James for representing the county!
November 18th – Hailsham Club Championships Session 6
The penultimate session of our 2023 Club Championships saw the first of the distance events swam, with the 800m mixed freestyle providing a tough but enjoyable event for all swimmers involved. There was also the opportunity to compete in the 100m and 200m IM events. The afternoon also saw a new club record set by Henry French for the boys 10 and under 800m freestyle.
November 30th – Hailsham Club Championships Session 7
Our 2023 Club Championships came to a close in session 7, with Hailsham swimmers taking on the 1500m freestyle and 200 freestyle events. Three of Hailsham’s swimmers really went the distance, with club records for Olivia Dolan in the girls 13 and under and 16 and under in the 1500m freestyle, Henry French in the boys 10 and under 1500m freestyle, and Mia Barnes in the girls 10 and under 1500m freestyle.
A look back at December competitions
December 3rd – Portsmouth Northsea Christmas Long Course Meet
Team Hailsham travelled along the coast to the Mountbatten Leisure Centre in Portsmouth for some long course competition experience ahead of the County Championships in 2024. There were medals galore, best times, and some gutsy swims from all!
December 9th - 2023 Arena League Round 3
Following 4th and 3rd place finishes in the first two rounds, Team Hailsham again travelled to Crook Log Leisure Centre in Bexley, London to compete for a top half finish in Division 2 east. Seeded 6th on the night, Hailsham’s swimmers weren’t phased by tough competition and Crook Log Leisure Centre’s notoriously slippery diving blocks, producing an exceptional performance to achieve a 4th place finish in the division. An incredible result which Hailsham will look to build upon in the 2024 Arena League season. Everyone who competed should be proud of their swims!
December 10th – Hailsham Time Trials Licensed Meet
Taking place at Bedes, this club event provided the perfect opportunity for new swimmers to try out events in a friendly and competitive environment, alongside offering a chance for competitive members to achieve 2024 county qualifying times. A fun afternoon had by all!
December 18th – Christmas Cracker Fun Gala
The final competition of the year is always a popular one! No standard events here, as six teams competed across a range of fun Christmas themed relay races, with each race refereed by Father Christmas. The final scores were very close, with the Snowmen narrowly securing the win! An incredibly fun evening enjoyed by many of our swimmers, alongside their friends and family.
Personal achievements
Laura Ripley
Congratulations to Laura Ripley who is now a qualified Judge 1, having completed her training this December. A huge well done from everyone at Hailsham Swimming Club!
Debs Barden
A further Congratulations to Debs Barden, who recently passed her referee exams. Just a final poolside assessment to go before Debs will be a fully qualified referee!
Jo Read
Our Masters Squad continues to go from strength to strength, with a growing team competing across all levels of competition. As such, alongside the usual announcement of our junior and senior captains, the 2023/24 season also saw a new captain announced for the Masters Squad. This honour went to Jo Read, who was announced as our new Masters captain at Club Championships session 6 in November and was presented with a new club shirt to mark the occasion. A wonderful achievement by Jo!
