Swimming Success at ESSA Secondary Schools’ Team Championships

This prestigious event welcomes secondary school swimmers from across England, with three age categories: Junior (Years 7 & 8), Intermediate (Years 9 & 10), and Senior (Years 11, 12 & 13). Competing schools race in two relays: the 4x50m Freestyle and the 4x50m Medley. After regional qualifying rounds, the top 24 schools earn a place in the national final.

This year, two teams from King’s qualified for three relays – an impressive feat in itself. Our Senior boys’ team (Harry C, Ben G, Dylan L, and Aled L) ranked 12th in the medley relay and 18th in the freestyle relay. Meanwhile, our Senior girls’ team (Frankie B, Grace E, Grace R, and Catherine H) qualified 21st for the medley relay. Although the girls initially missed out on the freestyle relay, ranking 32nd, they were delighted to accept an invitation to compete after some dropouts.

The standard at this event was exceptional – one team even included an Olympic swimmer! Despite the tough competition, our swimmers excelled, surpassing their entry times and achieving strong results across the board.

The boys put in superb performances. They narrowly missed the finals (the top 10 teams), finishing 11th in the medley relay – a heartbreakingly close 0.2 seconds away – and 13th in the freestyle relay. Competing against such elite swimmers and securing these positions is an extraordinary accomplishment.

The girls truly shone. Starting the freestyle relay ranked 32nd, they stormed to 15th place, climbing an astonishing 17 places. This remarkable result filled them with confidence for the medley relay later in the day. In a breathtaking display, they smashed their qualifying time by over three seconds to finish 8th and secure a place in the final. Thrilled by their success, the girls analysed their performance poolside and identified ways to improve further. In the final, they each delivered faster splits to knock off another second, finishing an incredible 7th overall. To move from 21st in qualifying to 7th, against powerhouse teams like Repton, Millfield, and Mount Kelly, is a phenomenal achievement. Well done, girls!

The swimmers represented King’s with professionalism and exemplary sportsmanship throughout. Balancing rigorous training with school commitments is no small task, and it was inspiring to see them competing among the best in the country and achieving such brilliant results. We are immensely proud of their dedication, talent, and success!