SPORT STARTS HERE Starring on county stage Swimming

Herne Bay Lifeguard & Swimming Club boasted a haul of 14 medals after competing in the 2019 Kent County Championships across four consecutive weekends.

This year saw a record number of Bay swimmers gaining their all-important qualifying times, allowing them to apply for the county championships.

The youngsters have been training hard all year to achieve their entry times, which are among the fastest swim times of any county championships in the UK.

Out of the Bay’s 26 swimmers who gained qualifying times for this year, 16 gained acceptance into 72 individual events in the county’s toughest competition in the swimming calendar.

The Kent Championships were held at 50m pools over four consecutive weekends, starting off at the home of the 2012 Olympics – the London Aquatics Centre – for the first weekend, then switching to Crystal Palace for the remaining weekends.

Besides an impressive medal haul, Bay’s swimmers also came away with 65 long course personal bests.

Marcus Crossman opened proceedings when he received a medal for seventh in the 1,500m freestyle, before Alyssa Kelly collected a medal for eighth after her 11min 07.69sec performance in the girls’ 800m freestyle.

The latter went on to claim bronze in the 1,500m freestyle event, seventh in the 400m swim and seventh again in the 200m thanks to a personal best of 02:30.03 to take her tally to four medals.

Ethan Sales also picked up a finalist medal for seventh place in the men’s 100m breaststroke and latter added to his collection with sixth in the 200m breaststroke.

Kayla Daly Valverde, one of six Bay debutants at the championships, raked in seven medals over the course of a month including a bronze in the 50m breaststroke.

She also produced fifth, sixth and eighth-placed finishes in the 200m backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle, respectively, as well as coming in at fourth in the 50m backstroke.

A superb individual effort was glossed further by sixth place in the 100m backstroke and seventh in the 100m breaststroke.

Such was her impressive display that Valverde has now been invited to take part in the England Talent Development Programme for 11- year- olds in the National Development Pathway Programme.

Adam Miles, Arianne Ivanova, Emmett Holdsworth, Fletcher Davey, James Page, Joseph Hayle, Keira Drury, Keira Twyman, Phoebe Stinton, Rose Douglas-sutton and Tilly Compton were also all involved at the championships. n City of Canterbury Swimming Club won one gold medal as 10 of their members competed at the Kent County Championships.

Antoine Mineau claimed first place in session 14’s 200m open breaststroke to become Kent County champion.

This followed an impressive session 13 from Mineau in which he chiselled his 100m breaststroke heat time from 1.11:23 to 1.10:62 as well as taking bronze.

Mineau also finished a respectable fifth in the 50m breaststroke, while George Casey made the podium for City with a second-placed finish in the 50m backstroke.

The latter, who also registered eighth in the 50m butterfly, was followed in the backstroke by a seventh-placed finish from Angus Lister.

Yahia Eraibey came in at seventh in the 10/11 age group in the 100m butterfly, before 26-year-old Dan Seagrove-castle finished in the same position in the open 100m freestyle.

Sam Woodard meanwhile managed eighth in a highly competitive 200m butterfly.

Samuel Jack, Fady Sheta, Owain Collins and Jessica Sugden also competed as part of City’s talented young group.

n The club remain keen on adding to their ranks and are encouraging potential new members to contact them via their website: www.marlins_ canterbury.org.uk