Plymouth College Swimmers excel at the ESSA Relays

Last weekend, 25 Plymouth College swimmers travelled to London to compete in the finals of the 2018 English Schools’ Team Relay Championships at the impressive facility that is the London Aquatic Centre, host to the 2012 Olympics.

The Championships consisted of a 4x50 Freestyle relay and 4x50 Medley relay for Juniors (Year 7-8), Intermediates (Year 9-10) and Seniors (Year 11-U6). The top 30 teams from around the country, as ranked from the divisional rounds held in September, were invited to attend.

There are few opportunities in the sport where swimmers can represent their school, and perhaps even fewer where all the races are relays. For this reason, it was extremely important to recognise the value of team spirit and for the swimmers to feel invested in each other’s performances.

It was fantastic to have Mrs.Hayward (Deputy Head) and David Woodgate (Chairman of Governors) there supporting the team, and both were impressed by the sense of community the swimmers displayed.

The race of the day can only go to the winners, and new Intermediate Girls’ Freestyle record holders - Joselle Mensah, Oriana Noel, Sophie De Groot and Sophie Freeman. They led the race from start to finish and performed exceptionally to become the fastest school team ever!   

Credit must go to all the swimmers who competed, not only in stepping up their times, but also in their mentality, as they moved from the heats to the finals. Deputy Director of Swimming, Roberto Pavoni, said, “I noticed a change in their mind-set before the finals, and all were excited to see what they could achieve under the bright lights of the Aquatic Centre. None were afraid of their opposition and all swimmers dove in with confidence in their own and their teammates’ abilities.”

In total, the teams won one gold, two silver and five bronze medals.  Director of Swimming, Robin Armayan, said, “I am delighted with how the team swam, their skills and technical ability were outstanding.  I am proud of the strength of the team, their professionalism throughout the event and their impressive results.