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Great swims in 1.5km age group race

The ASA National Open Water Festival continued today at Rother Valley, with the 1.5km age group race in the morning.

This event was split into six waves, and swimmers went out in separate age groups with both boys and girls waves.

Elijah Kendrick of Shiverers took the gold medal in the boys 12yrs age group, after a very close race. He finished just seven seconds ahead of second place, being chased all the way by Windsor’s Charles Hazell and Matthew Woodhall of Nova Centurion.

Kendrick claimed the title with a time of 20:39. He commented on his performance, “It feels amazing to get a gold medal, even though it was quite hard and I was being chased down by all the other swimmers.

“I train around 15 hours a week and I have to get up at 5:30 every morning to go swimming. The things that has helped me with this open water event are the widths that my coach Ian has been doing with me, but also the sea swimming I have been doing with Karen, my other coach.”

Michaella Glenister wins 14 yrs event

Michaella Glenister of City of Leicester won the girls’ 14yrs age group event, finishing with a time of 19:01 for the gold medal, five seconds ahead of Laura Cook of Newcastle who claimed silver.

Glenister said, “It feels good, I am really happy. I just wanted to do well, I wasn’t really expecting to medal. I came third in the Midlands, so I was not expecting to come first here.

“The water was really warm and I felt a lot more comfortable today. I’ve got nationals coming up next week and the week after, so I am just getting ready for that.”

Other 1.5km age group medallists

Gold

  • Emily Watts (12yrs) – Greenwich Royals
  • Aarian Lally (13yrs) – Hillingdon
  • Eleanor Bainbridge (13yrs) – Ellesmere Co
  • Ioan Evans (14yrs) – Bridgend

Silver

  • Laini Cooper (12yrs) – Derventio
  • Charles Hazell (12yrs) – Windsor
  • Jordon McPhail (13yrs) – Guildford
  • Lauren Young (13yrs) – Hatfield
  • Dante Des Rosier (14yrs) – Ellesmere Co
  • Laura Cook (14yrs) – Newcastle

Bronze

  • Alexandra Palotai-Avella (12yrs) – Bournemouth
  • Matthew Woodhall (12yrs) – Nova Centurion
  • Jevon Penny (13yrs) – Northampton
  • Olivia Butler (13yrs) – Severnside
  • Oliver Duckworth (14yrs) – Grimsby
  • Megan Molloy (13yrs) – Enfield
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