Katie takes gold at Euro championships
Kyle Academy pupil’s success in 2018 junior event
A teen swimmer has scooped gold at the European Championships.
South Ayrshire Swim Team’s Katie Robertson travelled to Helsinki, Finland with the Great Britain Junior team to compete in the 2018 European Junior Championships.
She picked up a gold medal with the girls medley team and silver with the mixed medley team.
The 16- year- old, who attends Kyle Academy, was part of a 30- strong British team that took third place on the medal table with six gold, three silver and four bronze.
Robertson competed in the 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke as well as the women’s medley team and mixed medley team.
Katie clocked a best time in the 50 breaststroke of 31.68 for fifth place in the final.
However, this was after qualifying joint eighth in the semi- final against a Russian swimmer that meant the girls had to swim off for the final spot in which Katie claimed impressively.
Up next was the 200m and a well- executed performance saw her just miss the semi- final by six hundredths of a second to finish 18th.
In the 100m, Katie again finished fifth with an impressive best time of 1: 08.74 which was just six hundredths off the bronze medal in a very tight race.
The Girls Medley Team squad performed superbly to take the gold and the mixed Medley squad collected the silver medal.
Katie was part of both squads and swam in the heat teams that put in excellent performances to contribute to making the finals in good lanes.
All eight swimmers that contributed including Katie received winners and runner- up medals.
Head Coach of South Ayrshire Swim Team, Byron Stericker, said: “Katie has delivered at the highest levels for juniors and continues to grow as an athlete.
“This successful champ is contributing to her transitioning into senior swimming.
“Katie is currently on top of the Scottish senior rankings in the 100m breaststroke at just 16 years of age.
“Katie like most started her journey in lessons at Prestwick and it is the excellent combination of South Ayrshire Council, South Ayrshire Sports Council and the Swim Team working together that have provided this youngster, and many others with opportunity.”