Two of Bishop’s Stortford swimming club’s young swimmers, Grace Lee and Georgina Pryor, were inspired by double Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington to achieve their own record breaking performances when they competed in the annual Burns meet national level 1 competition at the Ponds Forge international 50m pool in Sheffield at the weekend. The event was classified as a British championships qualifier and attracted a galaxy of star names in a top class field from across Great Britain.

The Stortford pair found themselves warming up in the same lane alongside the Olympic champion Adlington and her fellow Olympic medallists and team mates Jo Jackson and Cassie Patten. Something must have rubbed off from the champions onto the youngsters as between them Grace (14) broke three women’s club records and one age group club record, whilst Georgina (11) broke one age group club record.

Georgina smashed the 10/11 years age group club record with an astonishing swim in the 50m butterfly in a blistering 32.92 seconds. The swim was even more remarkable as Georgina was one of only three 11 year old girls selected to swim the event, such was the stiff qualifying standard. The race turned out to be a showdown between the three fastest eleven year old girls in the country which boiled down to a fingertip finish with Georgina taking the silver medal in impressive style. Georgina also competed in the 50m backstroke where she recorded a very credible time of 37.43 seconds.
Grace set new women’s club records in the 100m backstroke (69.77 seconds) and 200m backstroke (2mins 30. 40 seconds), 200m individual medley (2 minutes 33.79 seconds) and a new 14/15 years age group record for the 50m backstroke of 33.19 seconds. Grace’s 50m backstroke time puts her at the top of the East of England rankings for her age.

Both Grace and Georgina learned a lot from the weekend experience and looked very mature when competing in tight races under pressure against the highest standard of competition.