With February 16th and 17th fast approaching, KCL swimmers are busy preparing to race at the British University Long Course Swimming Championships…
This is an annual competition that involves the top swimmers from universities all over the nation racing head to head in a full programme of events. Whilst there are over 40 swimmers that train regularly as part of the competitive and recreational squads, only a select few will travel up to Ponds Forge International Sports Centre in Sheffield to compete in this event.
As a member of the team myself I managed to catch an interview with the captains; Ellie Shields and Daniel Parker and discuss their thoughts ahead of the meet.
Ellie, (whom balances her duties as Women’s Captain with her degree in Physiotherapy) informs me that the number of swimmers on the team has significantly increased from last year and “training has been going really well†this semester. She states that she is confident that the swimmers will arrive in Sheffield full of team spirit and will give 100% in their races.
Dan, (Men’s Captain and 2nd year Biochemistry student) similarly highlights how he is excited for this year’s Long Course BUCS as “it is a great opportunity to witness the improvements the team have made so far and reflect on the success of each individuals’ training programmeâ€. He also emphasises that he feels privileged to captain such a dedicated team and is sure that if everyone continues to embrace this positive mindset the competition will be a success!
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This year’s Championships will also mark the first year KCL will see members of the team compete in the Men’s 4×100 Freestyle Relay and Women’s 4×100 Individual Medley Relay along with their individual events. Whilst this exciting addition promises to display the multidisciplinary nature of the squad, both Captains suspect these performances should be a strong indicator of what the KCL swimmers have in store for the duel in the pool against UCL in March.
With team morale at an all-time high, are the KCL swimmers ready to conquer Sheffield?
Yes they are…
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