Weston Swimming Club had two representatives at an international swimming event in Lignano, Italy.

Weston enjoyed double success at the recent Energy Standard International Swimming Cup in Lignano, Italy, with representation at both coach and swimmer levels.

Weston Swimming Club’s head coach Rachel Aldington was selected by Fred Furniss, England talent programme officer, as a programme coach for the meet comprising the elite swimmers of Great Britain, Italy, France and the multi-national Energy Standard Swimming Club of Moscow.

This selection was fitting recognition by the sport’s governing body of just how successful Rachel has been in developing swimmers at Weston, but to advance the club to such a level that it has sent increasing numbers of swimmers to county, regional and national championships year on year and in winter 2015, the club achieved its highest position in recent memory in the National Arena Swimming League.

One of Rachel’s protégés, Weston-born swimmer Rachel Anderson, representing her country for the second time at this meet, won the gold medal in the 400m freestyle – the event in which she won the national title in August 2015 in her last swim for Weston before joining Millfield’s elite performance squad that boasts Rio-bound James Guy and Cameron Kurle in its ranks.

Her time of 4.20.51 was a lifetime best and further consolidates her position as the fastest 14-year-old in the UK in this event. In her other individual event, Rachel achieved another lifetime best time in the gruelling 800m freestyle, touching in 9.06.37 for a superb bronze medal.

She also contributed to two team bronze medals for Great Britain, swimming the freestyle legs of the 4x100m medley relay and 4x100m freestyle relay events. Overall the GB team finished third, with Rachel being one of just 13 GB swimmers from the squad of 50, to strike gold.

Attention now focuses on the South West Region Age Group Championships, held over two weekends in May, where Weston’s top swimmers will be seeking times to ensure qualification to the elite British Swimming Summer Championships and ASA National Championships in Sheffield in July/August.

If you are interested in joining Weston Swimming Club, please contact Charlotte Bradley (Learn to Swim co-ordinator) ltswsmsc@hotmail.co.uk or Rachel Aldington (head coach) headcoach@weston-super-mare-swimming-club.co.uk