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Hughes and Crisp finish eighth at European Junior Open Water Champs

Nathan Hughes and Leah Crisp were the top British performers at last weekend’s European Junior Open Water Swimming Championships 2016 in Piombino, Italy.

The pair have already reached the international podium this season as part of the bronze medal-winning relay at the 2016 World Junior Open Water Championships in Hoorn, the Netherlands.

And they both underlined their talent with top 10 finishes in individual events in Italy.

Having finished 14th at the World Juniors, 16-year old Hatfield swimmer Hughes improved six places on the European stage, finishing in 1:34:09.3 in the 16-17 Yrs 7.5km race.

France’s Logan Fontaine repeated his result from the World Junior Championships to claim gold in 1:31:28.4.

City of Leeds’ Leah Crisp was competing in the 14-15 Yrs 5km, having finished fifth in the same event in Hoorn. The 14-year old came home in 1:14:12.6 with Wycombe District swimmer Emilia Sansome also securing a top 10 place in 10th on 1:14:52.2.

Italy’s World Junior silver medallist Giulia Salin won gold in 1:13.04.9 after a four-woman group broke clear from the pack.

Thanet Swim Club’s National Age Group 15 Yrs champion Maisie Macartney was 15th in 1:15:18.0 while Grimsby’s George Barber was 15th in the boys’ equivalent in 1:01:11.3.

In the girls’ 16-17 Yrs 7.5km, Northampton’s Rose Foden was 14th in 1:42:31.2. Ellesmere College’s Phoebe Griffiths, who won the National 16 Yrs title last month, was 16th in 1:46:34.0.

Thomas Millburn was the only other English finisher at the event, placing 18th in the 18-19 Yrs 10km in 2:05:45.1.

British relay quartets finish sixth and seventh

There was English interest in the two relays as the British quartets finished sixth and seventh.

Crisp, Hughes and Macartney teamed up with Wales’ Ioan Evans in the 14-16 Yrs 4×1.25km, finishing sixth in 1:00:43.7.

An all-English quartet of Millburn, Foden, Barber and Griffiths were seventh in the U19 4×1.25km, coming home in 1:01:15.0.

Image credit: Deepbluemedia / A. Masini

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