2003
2003 saw the club gain the ASA Swim 21 Gold Award for performance
swimming, one of only two clubs in the country to do so. Chris Cook continued the club’s record of being involved in
the major International Championships of the world every year since 1991 by winning a silver medal at the World Student Games
in South Korea in August. Chris also broke the British and Commonwealth 100m Breaststroke
record with 59.91 secs in January in Stockholm, and represented GB at the European Short Course
Championships in Dublin. Chris is now ranked in the top 10
in the world.
Andrew Thirlwell represented Great
Britain at the European Junior Championships in Glasgow
and was reselected to the World Class Potential Youth programme for 2003/2004. Paul Robson and Richard Savage were both selected
for GB training camps.
Martin Douglas gained gold medals for the 200m breaststroke and
200m backstroke at the European Masters Championships in France.
BUSA Long Course Nationals medallists included Chris Cook, Darren
Wigg and Louise Horsley.
GB Long Course Nationals medallists included Chris Cook and Paul
Robson.
Scottish Long Course Nationals medallists included Chris Cook, Richard
Savage, Nigel Li and Alex Smith.
ASA Long Course Nationals medallists included Chris Cook and Paul
Robson.
ASA Youth Long Course Nationals medallists included Richard Savage,
Paul Robson and Nigel Li.
GB Short Course Nationals medallists included Chris Cook, Andrew
Thirlwell and Richard Savage.
English Schools National Championships medallists included Richard
Savage.
ASA Masters Long Course Nationals medallists included Martin Douglas,
Eddie Sawyers and Phil Latimer.
BUSA Short Course Nationals medallists included Darren Wigg.
Unfortunately Sarah Whewell, who swam for England at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, had to give up her swimming career this
year due to recurring back problems.
2004
2004 saw Chris Cook become the first male swimmer from
the club to swim at the Olympic Games, when he reached the 200m breaststroke semi-finals in Athens, the fourth successive Games at which the club has had a swimmer participate.
Niall
Nesbitt swam for Great Britain in the Deaflympics in Melbourne, and at 16 became the youngest male to contest finals, coming 5th in
the 400m IM final and 1st in the 200m breaststroke ‘B’ final.
Martin Douglas, competing in the
30/34 yrs age group at the European Masters Championships in Riccione,
Italy, came 2nd in the 200m breaststroke, 4th
in the 200m IM, 7th in the 100m breaststroke and 8th in the 200m backstroke.
Andrew Thirlwell
has been selected for the mens 4 x 200m freestyle squad preparing for the Beijing Olympics.
Eve Mackey has been selected
for the British Age group squad.
ASA SC Nationals finalists included Chris Cook, Richard Savage and Andrew Thirlwell
and Paul Robson.
Youth Nationals finalists included Andrew Thirlwell, Nigel Li, Richard Savage, James Johnson and Claire
Mead.
ASA Nationals Age Group finalists included Eve Mackey, Andrew Learmouth and Christopher Dixon.
ASA LC
Nationals finalists included Chris Cook, Darren Wigg, Paul Robson and Andrew Thirlwell.
BUSA LC and SC Championships
finalists included Darren Wigg, Sarah Germain, Andrew Mayor and Andrew Thirlwell.
At the British Masters Championships
in Manchester Sarah Germain was 1st in the 19/24 yrs 200m breaststroke in a new British Record and was 3rd
in the 100m breaststroke. Martin Douglas in the 30/34 yrs was 1st in the 50, 100, 200m breaststroke and the 200m
backstroke. Rachel Clinkard, Peter French, David Baldwin and Arthur Aplin took top 10 places.
At the British LC Masters
Nationals at Sheffield Sarah Germain again was 1st in the 19/24 yrs 200m breaststroke, 2nd in the 100m
and 3rd in the 50m. Mike Bairstow was 3rd in the 60/65 yrs 400m freestyle. Rachel Clinkard, Peter French,
Walter Mack and Peter Germain took top 10 places.
At the GB Disability Nationals Nicola Preece was 5th in
the S6 100m breaststroke.
At the English Schools Nationals at Coventry
both Alex Smith and Chris Dixon made finals.
