Team Sussex retain place in top division

Swimmers from 13 different clubs in Sussex competed in the GoCardless Swim England National County Team Championships 2024. Their goal: to maintain their spot in Division 1 for next year.

The weekend off with a training session in Loughborough. Here swimmers were able to experience a pool which has seen many Olympians grace its waters. Swimmers in the session were able to work on racing skills for the weekend, including starts, turns and takeovers. It also allowed them to shake off their legs from a long journey. This session is always pivotal for swimmers to start to form bonds and friendships –  this showed when the noise levels began to creep up on the last leg of the journey.

Once checked into our hotel in the centre of Sheffield and freshened up, swimmers and support team went out for a meal at Zizzi. Personally, I think this was the highlight of the trip (apart from the swimming of course). With every swimmer socialising with one another, lots of laughs and just an all-round fantastic atmosphere. I hope to see their friendships made from this trip continue into their future swimming journeys.

After a restful night, swimmers were geared up and ready for the competition. With an earlier warm up they had time to decorate themselves with face paints, bucket hats, nail polish and get some final fuel on board. Captains – Katie Oliver and Harley Williams – made their to the parade where they gleefully held aloft the Sussex crest. After which the racing started.

Over the competition we had 14 new individual personal best times, this is over 50% of the individual swims which is incredible. Sussex battled hard throughout the competition, teetering on 12th place for the majority of the first half. Eventually finishing 14th (equal to last year’s joint 14th place with Hampshire) with a total of 281.5 points (3.5 points off of 13th).The squad also achieved their goal – we remain in the Division 1.

With this resounding success for Sussex this year, the team were treated to a meal on the way back – which received one of the louder cheers of the evening… All members of the staff commented on how pleasant each and every swimmer was to be around for the whole trip, and I think for the first time ever there was no lost property afterwards!

I would like to say a massive thank you to our Assistant Coach: Becky (Atlantis), Team managers: Sam and Matt (Hastings Seagull), Officials: Sarah and Dan (Crawley.

It was a pleasure and a privilege to be the Head Coach of the GoCardless Swim England National County Team Championships this year, I wish all of the swimmers that participated the best of luck this season.

Lee Hammond (Head Coach)

Photo album (published soon)

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