KRISTINA NEVES virtually rewrote the record books at the Channel Islands Closed Championships in Jersey. The 11-year-old Guernsey Swimming Club sensation won no fewer than 13 events and set new gala records in all but one.
‘She was awesome,’ said her coach, Jo Winberg.
Jointly held by Guernsey’s and Jersey’s Amateur Swimming Associations and invol-ving the four clubs across the islands, the championships are the first big contest of the year.
The shorter events were held at Les Quennevais while the weekend before had witnessed the longer distance races in Beau Sejour.
The junior swimmers competed under the British Age Group Category Awards Scheme, otherwise known as Bagcats.
Neves won the under-11s category with 3,375 points and it was in the girls’ under-14s 1,500m freestyle event that she produced her best performance, clocking 18min. 40.72sec.
‘She was within a second of the Channel Islands’ record and that is at under-14 level, so she has another three years to go,’ said Winberg.
At the start of the month, Neves won seven golds, three silvers and three bronzes at the City of Derby Long Course Open in Sheffield.
Neves regularly trains at the Olympic size K2 Leisure Centre pool in Crawley, Sussex, and is the UK number one in 17 events.
‘She’s definitely good at her age group but obviously we’ll have to see how she progresses,’ said Winberg.
‘It will show when she goes to the nationals in August. That will be a good indication as to where she is going and whether she will be invited onto the World Class Progra-mme.’
This year’s CI event produced 47 new gala records over the age groups, with Sarnians claiming 16 championship titles.
Among them were 21-year-old Ben Lowndes and 17-year-old Robyn Le Friec, who both enjoyed a clean sweep in the butterfly events.
GSC’s Lowndes also won the 200m breaststroke and 100m individual medley in a new gala record time of 1-00.11.
Beau Sejour Barracudas, Jeremy Osborne, 17, won three titles in the 50m and 100m freestyle and the 50m breaststroke.
Victoria Parfit, 14, demonstrated her technical ability in the 200m and 400m individual medley by taking both golds and setting a new record in her age group in the 100m IM.
James Jurkiewicz, 16, claimed his first Channel Island title in the men’s 50m backstroke in a lifetime best of 29.43, while James Hewlett, 13, recorded a time of 19-06.82 to win the boys’ 1,500m freestyle.
Joshua Lewis, 14, also performed to a very high standard by winning all 14 of his events in personal best times, as did 13-year-old David Hall.
Both boys won their respective age groups with scores of 3,149 and 2,745 points respectively.
Other fine performances came from 10-year-old Chloe Tostevin who won eight of the nine events she entered to win her age group with 1,488 and from 11-year-old Miles Munro, who set new gala records in the 50m, 200m and 400m freestyle, as well as the 50m butterfly to win his age group with his score of 1,648.
Luke Winberg won the 12-year age group with 2,287 points and also set a new record in the 100m butterfly.
Those in runner-up positions under the BAGCATS points system included Annalise Munro, 9, who also set a new record in the 200m individual medley; Tom Nightingale, 9, who set a new record in the 400 freestyle; Leah Winberg, 10; Lotte Parfit, 12; Oliver Nightingale, 12; Joe Ogier, 13; and Alexander Batiste, 10.
Record-breaking performances in the individual events came from nine-year-old Courtney Butcher in the 50m freestyle, 200m backstroke and the 50m backstroke which she shared with Shannon Gavey.
Nicole Hewlett, 12, also set a new record in the 50m breaststroke.
Awards for the best male and female swim of the meet went to JJ Gallichan and Emma Glendenning of Tigers Jersey who scored the highest number of points for the times they achieved in the 200m and 400m freestyle respectively.
Article posted on 29th January, 2008 - 12.00am
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