Holland and Sanders complete clean sweep as Rushmoor grab team gold

Andrea Holland and Carla Sanders completed a clean sweep of Swim England Artistic Swimming Virtual Senior and Masters Championships titles as part of a golden Rushmoor team.

Alongside Carolyn MacDonald, Chloe Thickett, Francesca Feast, Grace Reukers, Louise Ross and Rachel Davis, Holland and Sanders won their third gold medal of the competition, following their success in the solo and duet events.

Rushmoor topped the 35-49 age group with a score of 59.7529 – but the team faced some challenges in working on their routine.

Reukers explained: “We found it very very difficult to get any pool time anywhere.

“Luckily enough, through Rachel working at a school, we were able to to get a small pool but it had no electricity so we had to make sure we were out of water before it got dark.

“We are delighted we have ben awarded the gold medal – we’re the champions for the 35-49 age group team event.

“We had a lots of discussions about the different type of music we wanted to swim to, ranging from very, very dramatic to very light-hearted.

“We came to a unanimous decision that we wanted something to be very uplifting as we had been through a very dark time with lockdown and we just wanted something that we all enjoyed and were inspired by.

“That’s why we chose the music and song Shine by Emeli Sandé. 

“I don’t think we can fail to be uplifted when we listen to that and when we swim to it. It’s just such an incredibly moving song and it really, really spurred us on to compete in this event.”

Ross added: “I think everyone. Found the last nearly two years difficult especially masters who were not allowed back into the pool until July this year.

“Being able to come back and train together was just brilliant – it was so much fun and nice to see everyone and just really appreciated getting back to the sport and realised how much we had missed it.

So glad to be back

“Competing in virtual event was different and doing it in our club session with no cheering was very bizarre. We actually walked on to silence, did our swim and waved and everyone clapped when the video stopped.

“It was different but I don’t think anyone minded as we were just so glad to be back in the pool.”

A total of 13 teams competed in the event, winning nine medals.

Rugby’s team of Joyce Williams, Cathy Reekie, Ruth MacCallum and Alison Richardson took the gold medal in the 50-64 age group with a score of 46.6706.

Richardson said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have won the team event.

“We have been not very long in the pool putting this together obviously but it’s been awesome.

“Absolutely delighted to swim it through and we’re looking forward to developing it further and taking it on next year to more competitions.”

In the 18-24 event, Aqualina’s team of Kerri Brennan, Lucy Hogg-Tempany, Eloise Heathcote-Sharif, Eloise Sewell and Iona Chamberlain-Clark topped the podium with 54.9961 points.

Meanwhile, Louise Chambers, Laura Lindley, Katherine Holland, Lucy Whatley, Rachel Stevens, Livy Crow, Chloe Fletcher and Emily Burley won gold for Kingston in the 25-34 age group with a score of 58.3118.

See the full results from the Technical Team competition from the Swim England Artistic Swimming Virtual Senior and Masters Championships by clicking here.