Channel Islands Championships 2008

The Jersey Amateur Swimming Association held its 19th Channel Islands Championships at Les Quennevais on 23, 24, 25 January 2008 at Les Quennevais Swimming Pool. Together with Tigers and Jersey Swimming Clubs and the  two visiting clubs from Guernsey, many swimmers enjoyed a weekend of achieving their goals, seven national qualifying times were obtained, as well as long standing records being broken.

Grace Le Couilliard, younger sister of Commonwealth Games swimmer Simon, swam a four-second personal best of 2.27.85 to gain a National time in the 12-year-old girls’ 200 metre backstroke while Sam Fernandes clocked a PB of 1.56 to qualify for the 200 free. JJ Gallichan was in great form, too, with Tigers and CI Championship records, notably in the 400 free by going 4.04, which was a four-second improvement. Gallichan was also overall winner in the 200, 400 and 800 free races with his 1.55 200 winning him the best male swim of the meet. Guernsey SC’s Kristina Neves had an excellent gala; the 11-year-old winning 13 events and achieving records in all but one. The youngster is certainly a swimmer for the future as she regularly trains at the Olympic size K2 Leisure Centre pool in Crawley and she is currently the UK number one in 17 events.

Jersey Swimming Club’s Natasha Stuttard was in fine form in the 13-year-old girls’ section 800 freestyle where she broke Sam Chaperon’s long standing record by five seconds. Stuttard and JSC team-mates Emily Ritzema and Hannah Le Maistre, were inside Jeux des Isles qualification standard and together with seniors Jemma Carter and Rebecca Le Maistre they all recorded PB times. Carter won gold in the 50, 100 and 200 back and 800 free. She was only out of the top three once in all her races. In the senior boys, Robin Johnson continued his recent return to form with PB swims in all his events, taking gold in the 50m back and runner up spots in the 100m back, 50m breast and 200m IM events. Le Maistre claimed gold in the 16-year-old 200m breast and 200 and 400 IM while Connor Mallet was never out of the top two in the 14-year-old boys section to finish second in the British Age Group Category Award Scheme known as Bagcats. Hannah Le Maistre, Natasha Stuttard, Leila Osman and Emily Ritzema gained top ten placings in the Bagcats breaking AIB Tigers’ recent domination.

Tigers swimmers also had a string of successes, led by ten-year-old Daniel Blandin who won his age group while recording Southern County times in the 200 breast, free, back, individual medley and 400 free disciplines. Blandin’s 200 breast was a meet record and a second off Tigers’ club record. Lorne Bickley also achieved an SC time in the 200 free. Gemma Atherley, in the girls’ 10-year-olds, achieved a Hampshire time in the 200 back following a 19-second improvement for 3.20.14. In the Junior section, nine-year-old Chezzy Williams and Sian Cumming took first place in the Bagcat awards.

Williams recorded meet records in the 50 back and 200 breast, both Hampshire times, while Rhianna Donaldson, also nine, swam a meet record time in the 100 IM. In the 11-year-old boys, Nathan Fogg returned to form with six Hampshire qualifying times. Gio Guarino had meet records in the 50 and 200 breast. Harry Gallichan improved on his Hampshire times, his best by five seconds in the 200 free where he touched home in 2.36.09. Grace Le Couilliard was the Bagcats winner in the 12 year old girls’ section while Charlotte Samson, who had several PBs including a three-second reduction on her 100 fly, finished top in the 13 years girls section.

Katy Glendening narrowly missed National times in a couple of events. However she excelled to finish first in her Bagcat group. Outside Bagcats, Tigers had ten trophy winners: Ian Black in 100m breast and 400 and 200 IMs, Simon Le Couilliard in the 100 back and Tom Gallichan who reduced his 200 back National time to 2.10. In the girls’ section, Iona Richardson returned with the 50 free while 14-year-old Kerrie Smith won the 50 and 100 back.

Charlotte Manning, also 14, took the 100 and 200 breast titles with PBs, the latter just short of a National time. Sarah Jane Smith showed her class winning the 100 IM and 50 breast, while 14-year old Emma Glendening claimed the main awards winning the 100, 200, 400 and 800 free titles and gaining a new national time in her 200 back in 2.222 which also won her the overall title. The teenager also picked up the ladies best swim of the meet and the overall best swim of the meet for the 400 free which was also the only Island junior record achieved last weekend.