Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Records sent tumbling during outdoor championships
Faversham SC swimmers smashed 22 club records during their outdoor club championships this summer. The record breakers aged from eight-year-olds Molly Fordyce and Freddie Mills to 16-year-old Olivia Hawkins. The championships were swum over two weeks this month in the outdoor pool and distances ranged from one length up to the 880yds freestyle race over 24 lengths. Head coach Paul Holt presented medals to the top three swimmers in each event. Gold medals for the under-12 age groups were awarded to Morgen Jan (110yds butterfly), Sophie Molton and Ethan Sharman (110yds backstroke), Isabella Holt and Max Fordyce (110yds breaststroke) and Molton and Max Fordyce (110yds freestyle). Both Molton and Max Fordyce also claimed gold in their 4x1 individual medley races while Fordyce completed his medal haul with golds in the 440yds breaststroke and 880yds freestyle with club records in both events. Holt, 10, was on form claiming gold in the under-12 440yds breaststroke and 880yds freestyle. In the 13-and-over age group, Hawkins and Nathan Williams, 13, had a clean sweep, both winning gold in the 110yds butterfly, 110yds backstroke, 110yds breaststroke and 110yds freestyle. Hawkins and Williams also won the under-16 4x2 IM while 17-year-old Rebecca Crouch won the 4x2 IM. Molly Stemp’s performance in the 13-and-over 440yds breaststroke won the 15-yearold a gold medal while Williams completed his collection of golds with a win in the 13-andover 880yds freestyle and his silver medal in the 440yds breaststroke secured him a club record. A great final swim by Hawkins in the 13-and-over 880yds freestyle secured gold. Harrison Scott and Molton, both 12, each claimed gold in the under-12 one length sprint race with Molton claiming a club record. Luke Butterfill and Neve Smith, both nine, topped the podium in the under-10 and under-12 one length Novice races. The two-length Improver race was won by Cora Goodman and Hew Bennion with Mills claiming bronze in a new club record. Mills also won gold in his under-8 one length race alongside Molly Fordyce whose one length sprint and 110yds breaststroke secured her places in the club’s record books. Club records were also claimed by Max Fordyce in the 11-yearold’s 110yds breaststroke, freestyle and 4x1 IM. Holt did likewise in the 10-yearolds 110yds backstroke and freestyle, Williams did so in the 110yds butterfly and broke the 28-year-old breaststroke record as well as the 38-year-old freestyle one. Amy Coupe claimed the 13-year-old’s 110yds backstroke record with Hawkins taking records in the 16-year-old’s 110yds butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke – which had been held since 1980 – and freestyle. Faversham will host an outdoor gala in July welcoming Beachfield, Herne Bay, Sheerness, Sittingbourne and Thanet.