Category: Competition Reports

Encouraging the swimming Olympians of the future! 

Whilst Britain’s top swimmers were preparing to bring home their Olympic medals From Tokyo 2020, the next generation were taking part in the British Swimming Festival of Swimming at the London Aquatics Centre this weekend.

This prestigious event was hosted partly at the UEA Sportspark the weekend before. Helping to nurture the medal winners of the future, due to Covid 19 restrictions this event was live streamed.   

Diss Otters entered a team of four; Forbes Irvine, Finlay Neve, Elliot Barkway and Matthew Tatum. The team produced six Personal Bests, no less than five of them going to Finlay Neve in the 12 years group. They had 3 tops 10 swims out of 11 events.  

Diss Otters continue to strive for excellence but like many other clubs, are always ready to welcome new swimmers so if you are interested in joining this friendly swimming club please contact headcoach@dissotters.co.uk 

Watch the Olympics but keep your eye on Diss Otters!

A great start after a long delay because of COVID restrictions, Diss Otters finally rediscovered their talents. Limited access to practice and training sessions meant the team were encouraged to do their best after making the journey to Basildon for the regional level event Swim England - Future Champions Meet 24th and 25th July.

It resulted in several Personal Bests showing great promise for the future.

Outstanding were 11yo Ella Goodswen with no less than 4 PBs while 10yo Freya Reed excelled at the 100 backstroke and 11yo Donald Perrin achieved a PB in the 50 breaststroke. Also making good times was 10yo Benjamin Eastwood in the 50 Freestyle.

Like many clubs up and down the country the last 18 months have proved challenging but Diss Otters are proving that the way forward is looking brighter. 

A squad of 17 swimmers took part in the Midsummer Madness Gala at the UEA Long Course pool 10^th & 11^th July. Grace Cook, Eleanor Godbold, Amber Daly, Olly Shadbolt, Ella Goodswen, Ella Townsend, Thea Irvine, Portia Bloomfield, Elliot Barkway, Laurie Shearer, Noah Blair, Fin Neve, Gus Betts, Forbes Irvine, Callum Blair, Damian Lemke and Jon Barber. 

This was the first away competition since February 2020 and whilst there were no spectators inside the venue the event was live streamed by the promotors.  

A total of 85 individual swims by the team. 46 tops 8 swims were achieved and from that the swimmers brought home 13 medals Noah Blair 1G, 1S & 4B, Fin Neve 2G & 3S, Forbes Irvine 2B and Jon Barber 1B. Not to mention 43 PBs.  

The Otters are next in action when our team of under 11s head off to the Swim England East Region’s Future Champions Meet 24^th & 25^th July.  

Diss Otters sent teams to two galas last weekend. A more experienced team of seventeen swimmers travelled for a weekend away in London to swim at the iconic London Aquatic Centre pool within the setting of the Olympic Park in Stratford. Meanwhile a team of ten development swimmers took to the water in a long course gala organised by City of Norwich swimming club at the UEA Sportspark.

Firstly to events in London which saw the Otters take on swimmers from twenty six different clubs from across London and the South East. An amazing return of 46 medals from just 105 swims consisting of 16 golds, 15 silvers and 15 bronzes. This together with 41 new personal best times sent the team back to Norfolk with heads held high.

London squad details were - Max Ashken (2G,4S,1B), Callum Blair, Noah Blair(1B), Harry Button(1B), Harrison Fall, Imogen Grimes(3G,1S,1B), Nathan Hunt(1S), Forbes Irvine, Thea Irvine(2G,2S,4B), Alex Jackson, Cassia Miller(3G,1S,1B), Ottilie Miller(1B), Matthew Munnings(1G,1B), Rosie Munnings(1G,2S,1B), Fin Neve(3S,1B), Ciaran Strike(1B), Matthew Tatum(4G,1S,1B).

In Norwich the ten swimmers who gained valuable long course pool experience over the weekend, took an incredible 38 new personal best times back to Diss from only 46 races swum - an 82% return. There was also the bonus of a silver medal for Donald Perrin in the 50m freestyle for 9 year olds.

Norwich squad members were Angus Betts, Portia Bloomfield, Jodi Brown, Tatim Brown, Abi Chisman, Grace Cook, Eleanor Godbold, Donald Perrin, Laurie Shearer and Mya Sidwell.

A squad of 22 swimmers from Diss Otters Swimming Club took part in this years Warwick Thompson Memorial Gala at Thetford's Waterworld pool last weekend.

A total of 116 individual swims by the Otters over the two day gala made sure that their supporters had plenty of action to watch and the results gave them plenty to cheer about.

82 top 8 swims were achieved, and from that the swimmers brought home a staggering 30 medals, consisting of 6 golds, 12 silvers and 12 bronzes.

The full Otters squad and medals won were as follows, Eleanor Godbold (1S), Alex Jackson (1B), Abigail Chisman (1B), Andrea Altadonna (1S), Ella Goodswen, Faye Wilson (1S,1B), Olivia Shadbolt (1G), Abigail Fletcher, Seren Jones, Molly Wilson (1S), Lily Ellis (2S,3B), David Cosgrove (1G,1S,2B), Finlay Neve (1G,1S), Ciaran Strike (1B), Jon Barber (1G,1S), Jacob Shadbolt (1B), Ella Townsend (2S,1B), Brandon Crisp (2G), Grace Cook (1S), Portia Bloomfield, Kyla Dalliston (1B) and Mya Sidwell. 

The Otters hit the water next when a squad of over 20 swimmers take part in a two day gala at the London Olympics Aquatic Centre on the 7th and 8th of March.

Diss Otters had 5 masters swimmers that tried to hide from the worst of storm Dennis by spending the day swimming in the Sudbury Valentines Meet.

Alison in a tough age group swimming against a British Record holder managed 3 silvers from 3 races in the 50 fly, 100 IM and 200 Free, all in just the final session of the day.

Simon spreading his 3 races throughout the day achieved silvers in 400 and 200 Free and a bronze in 50 Free.

Diss Otters had one of their most successful County Championship galas in recent years, when over the last three weekends a squad of 37 swimmers from the club took to the pool at the UEA Sportspark in Norwich.This gala is the biggest event most club swimmers take part in and qualification for its various events, from 50m to 1500m is the benchmark that swimmers look to achieve throughout the year.

Diss Otters competitors took part in 176 individual swims, converting 70 of those into finals reached or top 8 finishes. Out of those finals reached the club won 17 medals - 1 gold, 7 silver and 9 bronze as well as achieving many new personal best times.

Highlights of the gala included Elliott Barkway being crowned 12 year old boys butterfly champion, Finley Neve (with 6 medals) finishing 3rd overall in the 12 year old boys category, and Rosie Munnings receiving her Norfolk County Colours for representing the county in galas on 3 occasions.

Diss Otters squad and medals as follows - Thea Irvine, Matthew Tatum (1S,1B), Callum Blair, Harry Daly (1B), Matthew Munnings, Grace Cook, Lily-Anne Jones, Rosie Munnings (2S,1B), Imogen Grimes, Charlotte Gates, Finley Neve (3S,3B), Forbes Irvine, Oslo Chapman, Brandon Crisp, Kathryn Wood, Olivia Chapman, Noah Blair (1S,1B), Lucas Blair (1B), Ciaran Strike, Blossom Day, Faye Wilson, Amber Daly, Portia Bloomfield, Cassia Miller, Otillie Miller, Ella Townsend, Alex Jackson, Laurie Shearer, Angus Betts, Elliott Barkway (1G,1B), Heidi Noakes, Donald Perrin, Kyla Dalliston, Emily Rose, Harry Button, Olivia Shadbolt and Nathan Hunt.

Diss also took part in the County relay gala with an inexperienced young squad, and although ultimately finishing in sixth position there were lots of positives to be taken from the event into future years.

The next action the Otters will see is an exciting opportunity, with a squad of around 20 heading to the London 2012 Olympics Aquatic centre in Stratford for a 2 day gala at the start of March.

A busy spell of competitions in the pool ended this weekend with success in the Steel city of Sheffield.

To start off the club's run of galas was the Summer Splash Development Gala with twenty nine swimmers competing at Diss Leisure Centre. Designed to enable inexperienced and novice swimmers take their first steps on the competitive ladder the Otters came away with plenty of medals and new personal bests and most importantly of all some invaluable experience of the gala environment.

The club also took part in the Senior Fenland League which got underway with two heats held at Kings Lynn and Thetford respectively. Diss were drawn in the Thetford event and were up against squads from the hosts Thetford, City of Ely, March Marlins and Mildenhall.

After an evening of great racing at Waterworld it was Thetford who won the event with 375 points followed by Ely 325, Diss 257, March 242 and Mildenhall 89. The Otters now progress to the B final as top seeds and will race against March and Mildenhall from their heat together with St Neots and Bottisham from the King's Lynn event.

Finally as mentioned at the start of this report a team of Diss Otters performance squad swimmers made the journey north to Sheffield for the Derventio Excel Summer Spectacular held at the prestigious Ponds Forge International Venue.

Amazingly the club came away with twenty seven medals and also won the top visiting club award beating off competition from all over the country to triumph.