Just three Black Country n Potteries Masters Swimmers made the British Long Course Championships in Sheffield on the first weekend in June. Between them they collected 11 medals.

In the 70-74 yr age group Kath achieved wins in all three backstroke distances (50/100/200) along with wins in the 50 and 100 freestyle.

25 year old Sadie Turner reached silver in highly competitive 50, 100 free and 50 fly races, two of her swims were lifetime bests, and she claims the improvement is just because of weight training!

Lindsey Gowland has had a bit of a layoff and her two silver and one bronze suggested she’s getting back to form.

Next racing for club swimmers is the Calverton and Bingham meet next weekend, and there’s still time to enter Stockport on 15th July.

Eleven Black Country n Potteries Masters performed at Wolverhampton in the Shropshire County Masters on May 21st.

Between them they combined to win 18 individual titles, set 8 Staffs County Records and win both the 120+ Mixed Freestyle and 200+ Mixed Medley relay events.

The record breakers were:

1500 Freestyle

• 45-49 Diane Asbury*  22.28.45
• 55-59 Craig Edwards  22.50.12
• 65-69 Martyn Finney  25.36.11

800m Freestyle

• 45-49 Diane Asbury*  11.42.78
• 55-59 Craig Edwards 12.04.88

400m Freestyle

• 35-39 David Blakemore 6.02.24
• 50-54 Justine Doody 5.23.36

400 IM

• 40-44 Athene Brown 7.04.09

* Diane is considered (by me … Kath) to be THE swimmer of the meet with two outstanding ‘personal best’ performances (anyone would think she’s training for a channel swim!!!!!!)

PS Justine, consider yourself runner up, brilliant 400m swim to beat your own county record!

For many the Staffs Masters at Stafford provided the first opportunity of the season to compete.

Sixteen Black Country n Potteries members took part, with newcomers Roger, Ian, David, Steve and Athene swelling the ranks, and Sharon making a welcome return following a lengthy absence from the pool events.

Martyn Finney and Lionel Spittle led the successes, with Martyn claiming 3 new Staffs records and 3 wins, Lionel set 3 new records and provided 2 wins. New recruit, Roger Crannage made the record administrator open a new age group category, as the nimble 83 year won 2 events, both were recorded as county records in a newly created 80-85 year old age group. Another newbie, Ian Hicks showed his form by winning 2 events and setting a new 100m IM county record.

Jacq Mann led the women’s successes with 2 wins and 2 records, with Justine and Kath both lowering their own records set last year. Diane (6) and Justine (5) racked up a host of events each towards the prestigious National Women’s Decathlon competition.

BCPM relays teams provided another 4 wins, bringing the grand total to 26 county championship titles. Not a bad day at the office!

Sadie Turner put Black Country n Potteries Masters centre stage when she blasted the women’s skins invitation event at Etwall’s 2022 meet. She repeated a series of wins to navigate the rounds and land the trophy, exhausted but triumphant! She also added three more individual victories and was part of a winning club record-breaking quartet in the 120+ Mixed Freestyle along with Richard H, Justine and Ben.

Not to be outdone Lindsey Gowland came away form the Derbyshire event with seven individual wins and a glorious six new meet records, and helped Kath, Martyn and Lionel to a win the 240+ Medley Relay.

Other bright sparks were Ben and Kath they won all three of their individual races, Kath set new meet records in her events, Lionel and Richard H chalked up two individual wins apiece. Justine gained an impressive win in her 100 breast and alongside Diane added valued points to the women’s national decathlon team event. Martyn was part of a club record breaking 160+ Mens Medley Relay squad alongside Richard H, Ben, and Lionel.

After a two and a half year break BCPM were finally able to compete in a (much condensed) Midlands Masters in Coventry. Eight swimmers represented the club. 

Here’s a rundown:

• Lionel Spittle 1st 1st 2nd 4th and 200 free Staffs Record
• Ben Roberts 1st 1st 1st and 50 fly Staffs Record
• Martyn Finney 1st 2nd 3rd and 4th!
• Richard Woodall 3rd 4th with a 200 Breast Staffs Record
• Lindsey Gowland 1st 1st 1st 1st and a 100m free Staffs and West Midlands Record
• Kath Tunnicliffe 1st 1st 1st plus 50 Breast and 50 Free Staffs Records 
• Claire Porter 3rd 3rd 
• Sadie Turner 1st 2nd including 50 Free Staffs record 
• 240+ Freestyle Relay (Kath Richard Lindsey Martyn) 1st
• 200+ Medley Relay (Ben Claire Lindsey Lionel) 5th (out of 8 teams in extremely competitive race!)  

Congratulations on a fine set of results from team BCPM!

Now for a bit of self indulgence – my ‘moments of the meet’ by Kath Tunnicliffe:

First, the 27.83 produced by ‘newbie’ Sadie Turner in the 50 Free. Her start was amazing and took half a metre from the opposition. I never thought we’d see a club member swim that fast this season – Woweee!

Second, and equally as ‘stunning’, the 28.41 from Ben Roberts in his 50 backstroke (his other swims were just as impressive). It’s wonderful to have these two ‘sparks’ in the club and ‘just hoping’ it is the beginning of a new era for BCPM and helps bring in more new members from the younger age groups. Also I think Ben and Sadie would have done some real damage at the Nationals this year had they entered. However,  I hear they are now going to start a bit of training!!!!!!!!!

Third nomination is for the 240 plus freestyle relay team which came up against the likes of Kenilworth and Camp hill. A tried and tested format: Kath Richard Martyn and Lindsey prevailed.

Next competition is the National’s  in three weeks, Inter Counties 13th Nov then Etwall 26th November.

Lindsey Gowland does it again – another British Record for 2022!

At the Stockport meet this evening she lowered her own 50 fly record with a time of 36.25.

Swim England Chair Jim Wilks presented Lindsey with the female swimmer of the meet trophy in recognition of her fabulous swim.