Bishop's Stortford Swimming Club's Kirsty Neill wins 200m breaststroke silver medal at British Summer Championships in Sheffield
Kirsty Neill claimed a superb silver medal in the 200m breaststroke at the British Summer Championships.
The Bishop's Stortford Swimming Club member set a club record time to get onto the podium in the 15-years age category at the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre in Sheffield.
In what was a thrilling race, Neill, who set a PB to qualify, was stroke for stroke with the rival she beat at the Scottish Nationals back in April before just being touched out for gold. She also came 10th in the 100m breaststroke final.
Neill was joined at the week-long prestigious event, which featured the top 24 swimmers in Britain in each event and age group, by clubmates Ella Greatbatch (14 years), Lauren Gore, Jago Derrington (both 16 years) and Niamh James (19 years and over).
New BSSC member Laura Burgess (16 years) competed for her old club while Toby and Will Godsell (15 and 17 years), from Germany's Team Bonn, swam under the Stortford umbrella having learned to swim in the town.
James put in a strong personal-best performance to come ninth in the 200m backstroke final.
Toby Godsell also had a great championship as he took silver in the 50m/100m backstroke and 200m individual medley as well as bronze in the 200m backstroke. Will Godsell reached the final in all of his events, coming fifth in the 50m breaststroke, sixth in the 100m breaststroke, seventh in the 200m IM and eighth in the 200m breaststroke.
All of the Stortford swimmers received expert guidance from head coach Benoit Grattepanche and former Stortford coach Mathieu Leroy.
BSSC results: Ella Greatbatch - 12th 50m breaststroke; Jago Derrington - 21st 200m backstroke; Kirsty Neill - 2nd 200m breaststroke, 10th 100m breaststroke, 13th 50m breaststroke; Lauren Gore - 24th 50m breaststroke; Niamh James - 9th 200m backstroke, 12th 100m backstroke; Laura Burgess - 13th 50m freestyle; Toby Godsell - 2nd 50m/100m backstroke & 200m IM, 3rd 200m backstroke, 11th 50m breaststroke, 12th 100m butterfly, 15th 50m butterfly; William Godsell - 5th 50m breaststroke, 6th 100m breaststroke, 7th 200m IM, 8th 200m breaststroke.
