City of Bradford had three representatives at the prestigious British Swimming National Summer Championships meet in Sheffield.

The meet is the highest level of age group swimming in Great Britain and means those competing are in the top 24 swimmers in the country at their discipline.

Sophia Gledhill produced the highest place finishes.

She claimed 11th in the 16 years 200m butterfly in a time of 2.24.27 and 12th in the same age group 400m individual medley in a time of 5.14.45. Both these were personal best times.

Swimming in the 19 years and over age group, Archie Minto smashed the club record in the 200m butterfly in a time of 2.06.22 to finish in 14th place.

Quinn Austin-Kelly swimming in the 14-15 age group, claimed a top 20 finish when he placed 19th in the 200m breaststroke with a time of 2.35.18.

Gledhill, Minto and Austin-Kelly were joined by Alex Dunn, Jasmine Shay, Imogen Tiffany, Samantha Knowles and Freddy Dean the following week, as City’s representatives at the high-level Swim England National Summer Meet, also in Sheffield.

They all produced outstanding performances and narrowly missed out on podium places. However top ten places and club records came in abundance.  

Once again, it was Gledhill, swimming in the 16 years age group, who claimed the highest place finish.

She recorded a fourth place in the 100m butterfly, fifth in the 200m backstroke and 11th in the 50m butterfly.

Also finishing in fifth place was Minto in the 18 years and over 200m individual medley. His time of 2.10.34 was a new club record.

With confidence high following his swim at Sheffield a few days earlier, Kelly placed eighth in the 15 years 100m breaststroke in a time of 1.00.72 and 15th in the shorter 50m event.

Seasoned finalist Alex Dunn, 16, claimed a new club record and a sixth place finish in the 50m freestyle in a time of 27.61 and also placed eighth in the longer 100m event.

A new club record of 29.74 went to Shay, swimming in the 15 years age group 50m butterfly, when she finished in equal seventh place.

She also went on to finish in the top 20 in the 100m butterfly.

Swimming in the 15 years age group and at her second national championships, Knowles finished ninth in the 50m backstroke in a time of 32.09 and 16th in the 100m event.  

Tiffany, a 16-year-old breaststroke specialist, claimed ninth place in the 200m breaststroke and had two top 20 finishes in the 50m and 100m events.

Another club record fell in the boys 15 years 50m backstroke when Dean finished in ninth place, closely followed by a top 20 finish from him in the 100m backstroke.

All the swimmers train with Bradford Council’s Leisure Services Aquatic Competition Programme under the guidance of Senior Coach Andy Pearce and Development Coach Sarah Fisher.