TIGERS swimmers are relishing the opportunity to compete in British and English national championships this summer, following a three-year break in the event.
The club are fielding no fewer than 18 swimmers – the best turnout in over a decade – comprised of both Island-based and UK-based competitors.
Invitations are extended to the top 24 swimmers in each event, per age group.
Filip Nowacki, Sam Sterry, Isaac Thompson, Matt Deffains, Siena Stephens, Megan Hansford and Alana Woodhall all make their debuts at this year’s British Championships, while Hannah Sterry will make her English National debut along with her brother Sam, Hansford and Deffains.
Additionally, Commonwealth games bound Lily Scott and Gemma Atherley both qualified for the British Championships – while Luke Flemming and Jacob Mauger qualified for the English Championships, but cannot attend.
Club member in the UK, Tom Deffains, will be returning with Mount Kelly, while fellow mainlander Oscar Dodds has earned selection for Team GB to swim at the Youth Olympics – Tigers first GB representative since Simon Le Couillard in the early 2000s.
Oscar’s brother Isaac, Robbie Jones, Harry Shalamon and Jack Allan all also qualified for the British Championships, but miss out as they will be attending the Commonwealth Games.
Tigers head coach Nathan Jegou said: ‘It’s been a long journey to this point. It seems surreal that it’s three years since the last British Nationals, the main target event for age-group swimming and I’m glad we have a young squad going full of first-timers.
‘They could have easily not been in the sport still, so it’s credit to them.
‘On the grander scale of it all, to have that many Jersey-born swimmers qualify for the championships just shows what a great spot swimming locally was in pre-pandemic and now coming out of it.
‘Hopefully all of them can enjoy the racing this summer, be it at Commonwealths, Youth Olympics or the Summer Championships.’
All roads lead to Sheffield, where the British Nationals commence on 21 July.
Tigers swimmers & events: Isaac Thompson [1500m, 800m and 400m Freestyle, 200m Butterfly, 100m and 200m Backstroke, 400m and 200m Individual Medley]; Sam Sterry [1500m, 800m, 400m and 200m Freestyle, 200m Butterfly and 400m Individual Medley]; Matt Deffains [1500m, 800m, 400m, 200m and 100m Freestyle]; Alana Woodhall [1500m, 800m, 400m and 200m Freestyle, 100m and 200m Backstroke]; Filip Nowacki [800m and 200m Freestyle, 200m,100m and 50m Breaststroke and 200m Individual Medley]; Siena Stephens [1500m Freestyle]; Megan Hansford [200m, 100m and 50m Backstroke and 100m Freestyle]; Hannah Sterry [200m Breaststroke].
