Swim England National County Team Champions 2024

I can honestly say that this was one of the most exciting competitions I have seen for many a year (and as a referee I have seen literally hundreds of them).  The team swam their socks off, producing great races in personal best times and clocking up points to put pressure on the other teams. As each event passed the thrills and tension increased as we slowly made our way up the rankings to take the lead just before the half way mark. 

However, our main competition, Berkshire and South Buckinghamshire (B&B) and Staffordshire, didn’t give up the fight and we all wrestled for the top spot, rotating in turn as the races passed.  Middlesex then hit a real winning streak and we stayed in the top spot for quite a long time while the other two battled for 2^nd and 3^rd place.  After some stunning swims and some fantastic out and out racing, we approached the last three relays with a small cushion (half a point), but still in the lead.

The final result was agonisingly close in the end; in a hard fought contest that went right down to the final cannon relay, B&B finished with a handful of points over Middlesex and so we were second with Staffordshire in third. Second however is a fantastic place to finish and it guarantees our return to the top flight in Division 1, so well done to all the amazing swimmers who made up the team this year. The final points were B&B 469.5, Middlesex 464 and Staffordshire 451.

I was exceptionally proud to see what our team achieved and so were the County coaches that came with us and supported the swimmers over the weekend.  Many, many parents said they were impressed and delighted at how their children swum and how much they enjoyed taking part for the team.

Apart from being fantastic swimmers the team were a pleasure to be with - polite, helpful and really well behaved at all times.  But as soon as the parade started and the music began blaring they were dancing and clapping and cheering to support each other and they kept it up right until the end.  I loved seeing how much they loved it.  Several other Presidents commented on our swims and how good they were as a whole team, which is very gratifying.

Next year we take on the might of Kent, Yorkshire and Surrey who were top of division 1, so there is much to do to make 2025 as exciting and rewarding as this year, but with the swimmers in our county I am sure we can build on this performance!

I would also like to thank Ada Harris-Eze who joined the team as our official this year.  She did a great job helping with the organisation of the team over the weekend as well as on the poolside during the competition. We were very happy she agreed to join us.

Thanks also to our coaches: Nathan Joseph, John Slater and Chris Pullen and to our Team Managers: Leah Pullen and Gillian Neal.

Please read the account of the experience by our two team captains and see all the photographs on the website.

Jeanette Edmiston, County President