South Lincs Swimming Club hosted its annual Tulip Open Meet at the Castle Swimming Pool over the weekend of May 20 and 21.
The fun and friendly meet was a perfect opportunity for the South Lincs swimmers to practice their racing skills and for the newer and younger swimmers to experience their first Open Meet.
The swimmers collected a staggering 173 medals over the weekend comprising 69 gold, 55 silver and 49 bronze.
Alisha Mohamed, Annabel and Malin Fyson, Thomas Vere, Henry Steele, Isla Collins and Will Cooke were all competing for the first time and acquitted themselves admirably.
The seven swimmers took on a range of events and posted their first times in multiple events.
A special mention goes to Vere who, competing in the boys’ nine years age group, collected six bronze medals.
Vere sped to his medal wins in the 50m, 100m, and 200m freestyle as well as the 50m and 100m backstroke and the 50m breaststroke.
The club’s junior swimmers were on fine form setting new personal best times and collecting medals.
Kieran Lucy swam strongly to take silver medals in the 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke and bronze medals in the 50m, 100m and 200m freestyle.
Lucy came together with Eydee Chilvers, Kitty Lamb and Charlie Bisby to form the South Lincs junior relay team that claimed gold in both the 4 x 50 medley relay and the 4 x 50 freestyle relay.
Not to be out done, the South Lincs senior medley and freestyle relay ‘A’ team claimed gold in both events and the ‘B’ relay team took bronze in the medley relay and silver in the freestyle relay.
Bisby claimed the Junior Top Boy title having claimed ten gold and two silver medals to his personal haul.
He topped the podium in the 50m, 100m and 200m freestyle and backstroke, the 100m and 200m breaststroke, the 200m individual medley and the 100m butterfly.
For good measure Bisby also added gold medals in both the junior relays.
Lamb won the title of Top Junior Girl having claimed 12 individual gold medals.
She won gold in every event she contested and topped the podium in the 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle events as well as the 200m individual medley and the 50m and 100m butterfly.
Lamb was also part of the junior relay teams that took two gold medals.
Matteo Monaco took the Top Senior Boy title after a close fought race in the points standings.
He won nine individual medals over the weekend, taking top spot in the 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke, the 100m breaststroke and the 200m individual medley.
Monaco also collected four silver medals in the 200m freestyle, 50m butterfly and both the 50m and 200m breaststroke.
The battle for Top Senior Girl was even more exciting as it was between sisters Lillie and Lexie Hamilton.
After the final event of the weekend they couldn’t be separated on points and shared the top girl trophy.
Lexie claimed 12 individual medals and topped the podium on two occasions as she took gold in both the 100m and 200m backstroke.
Lillie took gold in the 200m butterfly.
qOn Saturday, May 27, South Lincs played host to 2022 Commonwealth Games semi-finalist Liam White, who delivered a backstroke clinic.
White swam in the 50m and 100m backstroke at the Commonwealth Games in 2022 for Wales where he reached the semi-finals in both events.
White also swam as part of the 4 x 100 medley and 4 x 100 freestyle relays at the games and has been an eight time British Championship medallist in backstroke.
White spent time with the club’s squads working on a range of backstroke skills including the swimmers’ drills, starts and turns as well as the ever demanding need for underwater kicking on this stroke.
White spoke about his swimming career to the senior swimmers who all had a lot of questions and for the younger swimmers there was an opportunity to try on some of his medals.
The swimmers also got their club kit signed by White.
Head coach Keith Haynes said: “It was a great opportunity for the swimmers to hear from an elite athlete who has achieved so much in his career and to reiterate some of the messages that are regularly delivered to the swimmers.
“We really appreciate the time Liam gave to the club and we are taking away some important lessons that we will be implementing in training.”
