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Gala Reports

Saxon Crown Future Champions - 22nd June

A number of swimmers represented GBM at this 25m sprint gala for 9 – 13 year olds at Downham Leisure Centre. The swimmers really put their hearts into it and achieved some good results. The Club also gained 2nd Best Club in the competition.

Future Champion for the Boys (12 years) was Joan Tello Alvarez who was place 1st in all four strokes. Joan has won this accolade in the previous two years as both an 10 year and 11 year old

Many congratulations to all the swimmers.

Also Representing GBM were: Matthew Bibby, Sam Debney, Reanne Jones, Emma Presley, Joshua Salama, Sabrina Sinha, Mollie Stevens and Alicia Woodward

Kent Junior League - Round 1 - 21st June

What a fantastic start to this year’s League! GBM’s younger swimmers certainly gave their very best in this first round gala held in Maidstone!

The gala saw GBM finish first, 51 points ahead of the second club Edenbridge. GBM gained 42 top three places out of 49 races (21 firsts, 12 seconds and 9 thirds).

From the very start GBM had an awesome team sprit. Starting the action was an effective dryside warm up closely followed by Head Coach Gil Levy’s form of the ‘GBM’ haka! This really lifted the sprits and warned the competition as the sound reverberated around the pool!

Every swimmer swam their heart out and the takeovers and turns were a credit to the pre-competition training. By the 11th race GBM were in the lead by 7 points from Edenbridge and this lead just kept on growing race upon race.

Particularly commendable were the efforts of all the swimmers swimming in their first team gala for GBM. Brilliant swims with a fantastic team effort gave the club a very memorable Midsummer’s evening. There were also 23 personal best times achieved.

A great start to this league competition with two more rounds to go. Many thanks to Gil and Bob who were inspirational on poolside, the club’s officials and all the parents and other poolside helpers who were so supportive at this event. Congratulations too to the parent helpers at the finish end who all passed the first assessment in their Judge Level 1 training. Good Luck in forthcoming competitions.

Representing GBM were: Hayley Bennett, Richard Blatchford, Joshua Brewster, Luke Brewster, Charlie Crane Howard, Ben Debney, Sam Debney, Grace de Rome, Richard de Rome, Amaia Del Rio Foces, Gabriella Drew, Imogen Drew, Nick Duxbury, James Harjette, Edgar Haruns, Wynter Innes, Hannah Jones, Max Kong, Anthony Noonan, Neema Nyaulingo, Boru Pratt McCullagh, Sophie Parkes, Katie Pearlgood, Emma Presley, Chanel Robinson, Dasha Shumilova, Natasha Sinha, Joan Tello Alvarez and Holly Wylie

White Horse League - Round 4 - 14th June

The Club had a good night at this White Horse Gala achieving our best points and position to date (see the league table). The swimmers swam with great enthusiasm and gusto and our parents and supporters held up their end with good vocal support. Many thanks to the parents who helped out with timekeeping and poolside duties and those who supported the team, the older swimmers who encouraged the younger swimmers and Coach Bob Blake who has the unenviable task of coordinating and allocating the swimmers to races and last but not least, the swimmers.

Representing GBM were: Eser Arshan, Richard Blatchford, Henry Bowers, Luke Brewster, Ewan Cameron, Laura Colgan, Amaia del Rio Foces, Ellen Dunbar, Nick Duxbury, Ben Duxbury, Fiona Hennessy, Leanne Hennessy, Emma Johnson, Hannah Jones, Michael Kenny, Max Kong, Sophie Parkes, Pujaa Patel, Josh Pemberton-Hill, Dylan Pratt McCullagh, Oriel Pratt McCullagh, Laura Porritt, Sam Shrimpton, Toby Shrimpton, Dasha Shumilova, Joe Simmons, Natasha Sinha, Andrew Smith, Dmytro Starukh, Karen Whyte and Alicia Woodward

London Region BAGCATS – 7th, 8th, 14th & 15th June

A number of GBM swimmers competed in this event over 2 weekend and the results were as follows:

Also representing GBM were: Edgar Haruns, Leanne Hennessy, Max Kong, Joshua Ling & Holly Wylie

Black Lion Open - 24th & 25th May

A number of GBM swimmers competed in this Open Meet and several achieved PB’s and the following results:

Also representing GBM were: Grace de Rome, Richard de Rome, Ben Duxbury, Nick Duxbury, Michael Kenny, Sophie Presley & Natasha Sinha

Report by Head Coach Gil Levy

After the previous week's competition in Hatfield I was tentative about the performances of the swimmers in this past weekend's Black Lion Open meet. As expected the swimmers and their bodies are taking time to adapt to my style of training and the type of programs I set to develop the squad further. The first group of galas that we are participating in serve as means for me to learn about you as much as for you to learn about me. I've learned a lot over the last 2 weekends and am developing a picture of what needs to be done and areas we need to develop and improve on since watching the performances. In saying that some exciting races were swum with some magnificent PB's ranging from between 0.1 - 8.5 seconds

Saturday morning began with some hesitation and nervous attempts but after a serious talk and a closer analogy on how to tackle the different events, the swimmers looked bolder and more "up for it." Leanne Hennessy tried the new approach of going out in the first half of the race uncomfortably faster than normal and then digging in to finish the 2nd half of the race fighting off the burn and ache in her legs, arms and lungs, the result - 2 magnificent Pb's and medals to match.

Kevin arrived to everyone’s delight on Sunday afternoon and really lifted the team. The swimmers relished the opportunity to compete in front of him and raised their game. Josh Pemberton-Hill came agonizingly close - but for the turn - to National Qualifying time on the 50m Freestyle and giving him Silver whilst Dylan Pratt McCullagh had swum a superb 50m split on the 100m Fly with only a little bit of fitness letting him down in the final length of the race yet managing to hold on to the Bronze Medal.

Laura Porritt swam in the 100 Fly although the 200m is her specialty. She went out tentatively and left too much to do towards the end but still took the Silver medal -  she looked comfortable swimming at a 200m pace and when we replicate this swim over the longer distance - then a National Qualifying Time next season is on the cards.

As the swimmers' times began dropping - 22 PB's with both Dylan and Josh improving on their swims from the previous week in Hatfield - so did the medals start to come in and GBM amassed 6 top six places. The gala organizers had joined the 11 and 12 age groups and had the 11 year olds swum independently in their own age group, I feel Natasha would have brought in a few medals of her own.

I was delighted by the guts and determination shown by Grace de Rome and Natasha Sinha in opting to compete in time-trial events that they've never done before whilst posting some excellent times as well as Richard de Rome who after slipping and catching his hip bone on the corner of a platform bravely decided to carry on in the gala and swam in the 50m Breaststroke a few minutes later. More courage was on display by Nick Duxbury in competing in the Breaststroke event and then later on - through an organizational mistake on the part of the hosts -was forced to swim in a backstroke heat against boys up to 15 seconds faster than his own PB time.

This attitude - the courage and determination and commitment to try new things and “guts them out no matter what the outcome” - is the first step to becoming a champion. Well done to all the swimmers who represented GBM - Michael Kenny, Sophie Presley, Ben Duxbury, Grace de Rome, Natasha Sinha, Richard de Rome, Nick Duxbury, Leanne Hennessy, Josh Pemberton-Hill , Laura Porritt, Dylan Pratt McCullagh - I'm really proud of you.

"Longer, Stronger, Harder, Further, Faster - because you CAN!"

Junior Speedo League Rounds 1 & 2 - 27th April & 11th May
Report by Coach Bob Blake

GBM swimmers achieved another two excellent performances in the first and second rounds of the Junior Speedo on 27 April & 11 May.

There were so many excellent swims by individuals, too many to mention, as a team we are improving all the time.  The starts and turns, speed work and the professional attitude of the swimmers were outstanding; all swimmers were a credit to the club.  You should all be very proud of yourselves swimmers.

Many thanks to the parents who gave fantastic support.  Thanks also to the senior swimmers who came on poolside to give both advice and support to the younger swimmers.

If we swim as well in the final round on 29 June we have every chance of being promoted to Division I.  It is therefore, very important that every swimmer selected confirms whether they are available to swim as soon as possible.

Remember, we are a team, if you are selected to swim in a relay you are a very valued and important member of the team; your performance will contribute to the end result.

Congratulations and well done to all swimmers, look forward to seeing you on the 29 June.

Click here to view the current league placings

Representing GBM at the galas were:

Hayley Bennett, Matthew Benstead, Richard Blatchford, Henry Bowers, Joshua Brewster, Luke Brewster, Laura Bruce, Sam Cameron,  Charli Crane Howard, Sam Crane Howard, Amaia del Rio Foces, Grace de Rome, Richard de Rome, Ellen Dunbar, Alex Green, Joshua Haynes, Leanne Hennessy, Hannah Jones, Rory Lilley, Maêv Moriarty Smith, Anthony Noonan, Sophie Parkes, Boru Pratt McCullagh,  Sophie Presley, Chanel Robinson, Toby Shrimpton, Natasha Sinha, Sabrina Sinha, Dasha Shumilova,  Dymtro Starukh, Ben Sulch, Jake Sulch, Ben Taylor, Emily Townsend and Georgette Valentine-Hosein.

Kent Primary Schools Swimming Championships - 3rd May

Emma Presley swam for the Babington House School team which won 4th place in the Small Schools Freestyle Relay in this Championship. Emma also competed in the Small Schools Mixed Relay and in the 50m Backstroke event.

Subpages for Galas:

Overview | Gala Schedule | Gala Notices | Gala Reports | Gala Reports Archive | Gala League Tables | Gala Pool Locations | Club Championships | Kent County Championships 2008

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