the press

Rochester Open 2006

Thanet Swim Club sent 39 swimmers to the 13 th City of Rochester Invitation Open at the Black Lion Sports Centre in Gillingham on Saturday and came away with a total of 26 top 6 finishes including 3 Gold, 5 Silver and 7 Bronze Medals and recorded 111 new Personal Best times.

Star of the day was 11 year old Libby Henson who was at the event on Saturday for a total of 11 hours, swimming 10 races including 4 finals. Libby won a Gold Medal in the 11/12 year 50m Backstroke as well as gaining the 4 th place medals in both the 11/12 year 50m Freestyle and the ‘Open' age group 100m Backstroke which was remarkable considering most of the other finalist in that race were 17 years olds. Libby also gained the 6 th place medal in the 11/12 year 50m Butterfly.

10 year old Ben Pond was a medallist in all three of his events. Ben won the Gold in the 50m Butterfly, Silver in the 50m Freestyle and the 4 th place medal in the 50m Backstroke. 14 year old Grace Fright was another Gold medallist with Grace earning hers in the 100m Breaststroke. Grace also won the 4 th place medal in the 100m Freestyle.

Rebecca Kearney, 15 years, was amongst the medals as well, winning the Silver Medal in the 100m Backstroke and two Bronze Medals, coming in the 100m Butterfly and also the 100m Freestyle. 14 year old Hannah Raven won Silver in the 100 Butterfly and gained the 5 th place medal in the 100m Backstroke.

10 year old Maisie Cope had a chance to show her improving form and did so in the shape of two medals. Maisie won the Silver Medal in the 50m Butterfly and won a Bronze Medal in the 50m Breaststroke. 11 year old Adele Lamb is another improving youngster and Adele got her reward in the form of the Silver Medal in the 50m Freestyle.

12 year old Mollie Raven was another double medallist on Saturday, winning two Bronze Medals, coming in the 50m Freestyle and 50m Butterfly. 11 year old Tyler Turner also won a Bronze Medal with hers being in the 50m Breaststroke. 14 year old Rachel Cunard completed the podium finishes with a Bronze in the 100m Butterfly.

9 year old Billy-Ray Palmer won the 4 th place medal in the 50m Butterfly. There was a 4 th place medal too for 10 year old Jake Davies in the 50m Breaststroke. 17 year old Nick Brown also gained a 4 th place medal in the 100m Backstroke. 9 year old Nathan Woodbridge gained a 5 th place medal in the 50m Breaststroke as well as a 6 th place medal in the 50m Butterfly.

A total of 111 personal best times were achieved by Libby Henson (6), Cameron Larnach (6), Tyler Turner (6), Maisie Cope (5), George Cook (5), Elisha Kennett (5), Marnie Holloway (5), James Cook (4), Elliott Mead (4), Charlie Frame Evans (4), Nathan Woodbridge (4), Adele Lamb (3), Jessica McDougall (3), Jake Booth (3), Elsa Mead (3), Alice Cope (3), Kirsty Thorpe (3), Mollie Raven (3), Rosemary Raven (3), Rachel Cunard (3), Rebecca Kearney (3), Billy-Ray Palmer (2), Sam O'Connor (2), Natasha Karczewski (2), Alex Kirkpatrick (2), Phillip Kearney (2), Amy Giles (2), Reece Kavanagh (2), Nicole Thompson (2), Grace Fright (2), Isaac O'Conner (2), Phillip Bullen, Alice Cook, Joshua Bradford, Ben Pond, Hannah Raven, Jake Davies and Nicholas Kearney.