Viking Swimmers Make Golden Start To Season.
The Club made a strong start to their season at the Iceni Gala in Dereham. They won 18 golds, 26 silvers and 18 bronze medals in various age categories
Isaac Buchan left the competition with four gold medals. The 14 year old completely dominated the 200m backstroke in 2:24.68 winning by 35 seconds and recording the second fastest time out of 14 across all the age ranges. Isaac went onto to win golds in the 50m Butterfly 30.08,100m backstroke, 1.09.49 and the 50m backstroke in 32.31.
For Emily Morton, leaving galas with out a medal is currently unheard at the moment as she is swimming very well. The 15 year old continued her form by winning three golds. 100m freestyle 1.07.25, 50m Freestyle 31.24 and the 50m backstroke 37.88.
Harry Hudson aged 18, also had three golds. In the 100m freestyle he defeated a field of twelve touching in 56.42 50 in his age group, only a split second a head of his nearest rival. However, he achieved the over all fastest time in the gala out of 57 who swam this distance. He went onto claim two more golds, the 50m backstroke 30.33 and the 100m butterfly 1.03.33 respectively.
It was also three in a row for 20 year old Leah Harris 100m butterfly (1.08.31) 50m Freestyle 28.75 and the 100m Freestyle (1.02.21)
Vikings made it a clean sweep of medals in the 200m breaststroke with George Edridge touching first for gold in 3.21.64, Razvan Platon silver in 3:28.31 and George’s 13 year old twin Zak, took the bronze in 3.29.84. The twins’ sister Mily, who is only in her first year of competition, did not win a medal but her time of 44.13 was good enough for the 10 year old to compete in 50m Freestyle in next year’s County Championships.
Ruby Tracey struck gold In the 200m breaststroke. The 17 year old finished in a winning time of 3.05.60 to take gold. In the 100m it was silver in 1.25.64 and over 50m it was the bronze in 39.02.
There was a gold medal each for Emily Beighton,(100m breastroke 1.29.53) and Reuben Seaman (50m freestyle 35.28)
There was further breastroke success when Lily Dear took a bronze in the 200m breaststroke in 3:49.16 and then added a silver on her 50m in 50.06 respectively. In her age group was Grace Parker who too was successful on backstroke when she won bronze over 100m in 1:28.62 respectively.
Anna Thurston went 3.38.82 for the 200m backstroke and subsequently reduced her personal best time by twenty seconds collecting the bronze medal.
Other Viking Medalists were Noah Buchan silver 100m freestyle 1.08.37 50, silver 50m freestyle 28.62 silver 50m backstroke 36.39 bronze 200m freestyle 2.26.91and silver 200m IM 2.52.22, Bebe King bronze 50m breaststroke 50.71 and bronze 50m freestyle, 35.02 Esme Seaman silver 50m backstroke 40.60 and bronze 50m butterfly 40.74 respectively.
Vikings were also represented by Winnie Browne, Evie Bates, Bailee Beighton Leona Scott, Lewis Goulty, Sam Morton, Ashley Jones,.Fearne and Rosa Sadler
After the gala, our Lead Coach Sam said:
I knew we had the potential to do well but to be honest I never imagined we would do so well with 63 medals. It shows that the team are all eager to improve.