Scarborough Swimming Club’s junior stars hit top form at Yorkshire and regional meets

Across four venues, 40 swimmers, and 202 races, the club delivered 119 personal best swims, secured 11 top 10 finishes at the Yorkshire level, 11 top 10 places at Regional Level and achieved a prestigious Yorkshire County Development Programme selection.

The club’s impressive string of results began in October at the Yorkshire Short Course Competition 2024, where 17 swimmers from the club competed in a total of 82 races.

All swimmers achieved at least one personal best, marking a fantastic start to the new season.

Several swimmers excelled, demonstrating both skill and determination under pressure:

Oliver Hamlin made his presence known, finishing in the top 10 in both the 100m Backstroke and 100m Butterfly, impressing with his ability to perform at such a high level.

Skye Leighton-Armitage continued her stellar form, securing 8th place in the 100m Butterfly, positioning her among the county best 9yrs young swimmers.

Thea Renshaw claimed 10th place in her event, continuing to build on her competitive journey.

Wiktor Gora proved his versatility with multiple top 10 finishes across a variety of events, showcasing his range and potential, although he just missed out in the 100m Breaststroke.

The next stop on the competitive calendar was the Middlesbrough Halloween Madness Meet, where Sami Baloch, Hannah Brown, and Savannah Foster took on the challenging 200m Butterfly.

All three swimmers made significant strides, posting new personal best times.

Savannah was particularly impressive, narrowly missing out on a Regional Time for the 200m Butterfly but earning a Long Course County time for the upcoming February 2025 Championships.

This achievement is a remarkable milestone for Savannah, who came through the Everyone Active Programme and is now heading into her second year with SSC. Having already competed at Yorkshire level in October, Savannah is now focused on preparing for the county and regional Long Course Championships next year, alongside teammates Sami and Hannah.

Scarborough SC’s success continued at the Beverley Halloween Meet, where 23 swimmers competed in 107 races.

The team’s hard work and dedication were evident as they achieved 46 personal bests and brought home a remarkable 30 medals—comprising 11 golds, 11 silvers, and eight bronzes.

The swimmers also recorded 22 top six finishes, securing an overall sixth-place finish in the highly competitive meet.

In terms of age-group achievements, Scarborough SC saw four girls in the top 10 in the 9-year-old category, and two boys in the top 10 for the 10-year-old category. Additionally, there was another impressive performance with a swimmer earning a top-10 spot in both the 13/14 age group and the 15 and over category, showing the depth of talent within the club.

The biggest highlight of the last few weeks was undoubtedly the North East Regional Short Course Championships, where Wiktor Gora truly came into his own.

Qualifying for 14 events, Wiktor’s dedication to his training paid off as he set personal best times in seven of his 14 events. He finished in the top 10 in an impressive 11 of his events, further solidifying his place as one of the region’s top swimmers.

Although Wiktor narrowly missed out on medals in the 100m Freestyle, 200m Butterfly, and the 400m Individual Medley (finishing fourth in all three), he claimed an emotional third place in the 50m Butterfly, winning a regional bronze medal.

Wiktor’s reaction after his bronze medal was heartfelt.

He said: "I’ve worked so hard for this, and to see all that effort pay off in such a big way was overwhelming. I’m so happy and thankful for all the support I’ve had along the way."

Senior Coach Nathan Renshaw added: "Wiktor’s journey is a testament to his dedication and the incredible support from his family, friends, teammates and the whole club.

"To qualify for 13 events at the Regionals is no small feat, and to come away with a medal after such a challenging competition speaks volumes about his talent and determination."

Looking ahead, Wiktor is aiming to qualify for the English Championships in July 2025, where he will target the 200m and 400m events for his age group, hoping to add to his already impressive list of accomplishments.

As if Wiktor’s regional success wasn’t enough, he was also selected for the Yorkshire County Development Programme for the 2024/2025 season.

This prestigious programme offers swimmers enhanced training and development, providing Wiktor with the tools he needs to take his swimming career to even greater heights.

This selection is not only a significant achievement for Wiktor but also a proud moment for Scarborough Swimming Club, which continues to produce top-level swimmers and create opportunities for future stars.

Only two had been made the selection from any of Scarborough & District Swimmer Association Clubs, Wiktor will be joining Ethan Zulueta from Bridlington Swimming Club on these camps.