20 Nov 2009

 

Pershore Swimmer looks North for Competition.

Pershore Swimming Club ace, Tazmin Pugh recently travelled to Britain's famous Olympic 50m (Long Course) pool at Sheffield to look for stiffer competition and duly found it though still taking home two Golds, three Silver and one Bronze.

This was Pugh's first trip to the Ponds Forge swimming complex but it is one she may have to make many times if she continues to progress as she grows older. Her first swim was a baptism of fire in the 200m Individual Medley where Pugh came in 2nd to City of Leicester swimmer Hannah Knight, in a time of 3:12.09 less than a second outside her personal best she recorded at Coventry a few weeks earlier.

A 400m freestyle time put Pugh back on the winning track taking gold with a time of 5:53.93 even so she realised too late she had left too much in the tank with a superb last 50m length of 37.62, and knew she could have gone quicker. Pugh came up against Knight again in the 200m back and once again the Leicester girl got the better of her, with Pugh's time 3:11.35. By the time the afternoon session started Pugh realised she was in a tough battle with the nine year old Leicester girl who already trains at the swimming academy at Loughborough University and who once again came out on top with 2:46.42 beating Pugh by 8 seconds.

By the time the 50m Free came up Pugh had the bit between her teeth and swam a gutsy 35.65 winning the gold medal and beating Knight into second place one second behind. The final event of the day was Pugh's weakest so a 3rd place was the best which could be hoped for.

With Knight reaching the ten year old threshold a week later it still means Pugh's times have put her in 1st place in the UK for Long Course from upwards of 10,000 girls in her age group, in four events, 2nd in one other and 3rd in the 200m breast for the year end. Pugh can judge her trip as a worthy experience and looks forward to swimming in the superb sports complex again soon.


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