19 Apr 2015

Pershore’s Will Gearey (12) travelled to Sheffield’s Ponds Forge International Pool at the weekend to compete in the Level 1 Derventio eXcel 9th Long Course Open Meet, seeking to qualify for the new Summer National Swimming Championships in August.

Swimming 13 events across the weekend, Gearey was looking to put down new long course times (in the new ten-week qualifying window) to get ranked within the top 24 UK age-group swimmers. 

Gearey was in brilliant form, producing 12 new long course personal bests and giving his qualification chances a massive boost. He also came away with a staggering 12 gold medals and the coveted Top Boy award.

On Day One, Gearey started his qualification bid with the 200m backstroke, powering to victory in 2.33.50 (pb).  He then added a second gold medal in the 50m fly, edging out his training partner Matt Richards from Worcester SC on the touch, to win in a new pb of 30.32.

Gearey continued to smash personal bests on Saturday, clocking up 1.22.55 in the 100m breaststroke, 2.33.73 in the 200m IM and 37.84 in the 50m breaststroke.  In the first race of the afternoon, Gearey hammered home a massive three second pb of 2.15.43 in the 200m freestyle which saw he rise to number one in the UK end-of-year rankings (12 year old boys).  He then finished his programme, with another huge pb in the 100m fly (1.09.92).

Day Two saw Gearey open up his account with the 50m backstroke.  Attacking from the start, Gearey flew down the 50m pool to clock 33.43 (pb) and (in doing so) grabbed his second top UK ranking spot.  Next up were the 50m and 100m freestyle events.  Turning first in his heat at the 50m mark in the 100m free, Gearey maintained his blistering pace to clock 1.01.56.  He then produced a 28.44 in the 50m freestyle for another victory. 

In the afternoon session, Gearey’s first event was the 200m breaststroke, firing home a 2.57.96 and yet another pb.  Then came the 100m backstroke, in which Gearey produced a massive three second pb of 1.12.40.  He finished his programme with the gruelling 400m freestyle. Unsurprisingly after such a full weekend, Gearey looked visibly tired and battled hard to produce a 4.54.10 – a fine effort given his long weekend and just outside his previous best.

Pershore Swimming Club will be sending a small team down to the Taunton Deane & Millfield L1 Open Meet next weekend, with several others also hoping to qualify for the Summer Championships.


All news