CITY of Bradford Artistic Swimming have started their 2023 competition season in style, after competing at the weekend in the North East Regional Spring Competition at John Charles Aquatic Centre.

There were many individual and duet medals, plus every team came away in either gold, silver or bronze place, competing against teams from City of Leeds, Borough of Kirklees, Gateshead and South Yorkshire.

12 & unders ‘Pearls’ won Silver, 15 & unders ‘Rubies’ won Bronze, 13-18 ‘Sapphires’ took Silver and both the elite and senior squads took home championship golds - 13-18 ‘Diamonds’ and Masters ‘Opals’.

Head coach, Charlotte Hughes, commented: “After all the disruption of the last few years, we started 2023 secure as a club, based at Shipley Pool as part of City of Bradford Swimming Club. This stability is now beginning to reap rewards as our swimmers are excelling and we look forward to the rest of the competitions, including the National Combo Cup at Ponds Forge in July.”

Those who wish to try a new sport can have a taster session for free on Saturdays at 4pm, if they can confidently swim 25m in deep water and are aged 7-12. Adults can also join a Masters Beginners Class. Contact Shipley Swimming Pool for more information.

Elsewhere, Chris Brown and Sam Naylor City’s competing masters swimmers swam at the Yorkshire Swimming Association’s annual Championships held at John Charles Centre for Sport, Leeds.

Brown looked impressive when he claimed no less than three County titles in the 70/74 years age group. His wins came in his favoured events the 50m and 100m backstroke and 50m butterfly. It was however his time of 36.12 in the 50m backstroke which stole the limelight as it broke the British record in his age group.

Naylor swam four highly competitive races and also came home with a medal haul. 
He claimed gold medals and County titles in the 18/24 years age group, 200m, 400m and 800m freestyle and a bronze in the shorter 100m event. 

Brown and Naylor both train on the Bradford Aquatics Competition programme under the guidance of coaches Andy Pearce and Sarah Fisher. The City of Bradford Swimming Club is the competitive outlet for the Aquatics Competition programme.