Kent crowned back-to-back Counties champions

Kent has once again demonstrated its dominance in county swimming by securing the Division 1 title at the 2025 GoCardless Swim England National County Team Championships.

This marks Kent’s third title in four years and a remarkable back-to-back triumph, reinforcing its reputation as one of the most resilient and talented squads in the country.

Held at Sheffield’s Ponds Forge International Sports Centre, the annual event brought together the top county teams from across England, Wales, and Scotland. Kent delivered a consistently strong performance across all strokes and age groups, amassing an impressive 478 points to top the leaderboard.

Kent’s team manager, Marie Atkinson-Brian, reflected on the significance of the win, especially given the county’s limited access to high-performance facilities. “It’s remarkable what our swimmers and coaches achieve,” she said.

“Kent doesn’t have a 50m pool for training or competition, and even our 25m facilities aren’t top-tier. Yet, our clubs continue to nurture a hotbed of talent. That speaks volumes about the dedication and resourcefulness of everyone involved.”

Atkinson-Brian believes that a key factor in Kent’s continued success is its commitment to swimmer development: “The Swim England County Pathway Programme helps our coaches grow and gives our swimmers the tools they need to develop as athletes.”

While Kent benefits from individual performances, the team’s strength lies in its unity and culture. “We believe it’s the hard work and dedication of our team staff that creates a performance environment where every swimmer can thrive,” she explained.

“There’s a fantastic team atmosphere and ethos, and that’s what drives each member to give their best on the day. Swimmers across the county really want to make this County Team and want to be part of not only what Kent create for them but this fabulous and unique event that Swim England put on for us.

She also praised Swim England for its ongoing efforts: “The event gets better every year. We’re incredibly grateful to all other counties, the staff, suppliers, volunteers, and officials who make it happen.”

Kent’s back-to-back victory is dedicated to Glen Isaacs, their County President and a long-serving coach, volunteer, and Masters swimmer “who wasn’t able to attend to support in person but was there in spirit.”

As per championship rules, the bottom four counties will be relegated to Division Two for the 2026 season. This means Northumberland & Durham, Oxford & North Buckinghamshire, and Berkshire & South Buckinghamshire and Staffordshire will compete in the lower division next year.

View the full results for Division 1 here, and Division 2 results here.

Images: Will Johnston Photography