Sheffield swimmers qualify for British Champs!
One of the biggest events on the aquatic calendar, the British Swimming Championships returns to Ponds Forge International Sports Centre for its six-day meet between 5th-10th April.
Renowned Sheffield swimmers, Jay Lelliott, Candice Hall, Sienna Robinson, Amber Keegan and Ashleigh Baillie have all qualified for this flagship domestic event taking place in their hometown. This group of talented individuals who compete nationally, and some internationally, train with the City of Sheffield Swim Squad (COSSS), the top competitive swimming club in South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire, and are all hoping for medal glory.
Ponds Forge has witnessed many great sporting moments of the British Swimming Championships as it has hosted the event several times before, starting in 1992 a year after hosting the aquatics events at the World Student Games and most recently in 2017.
Ponds Forge 50m Olympic-sized competition pool
Andrew Snelling, our Chief Executive said: “We are absolutely delighted to be hosting the British Swimming Championships and have this world class sporting event back in Sheffield.
“We are able to host an event of this scale as Ponds Forge is one of only a handful of leisure centres that has a 50m Olympic sized competition pool and as a result we welcome over 850,000 visitors to Sheffield each year, with our comprehensive event programme generating over £10m per year to the local economy.
Mike Taylor, Head Coach at COSSS said:” We are really looking forward to the commonwealth trials at Ponds Forge and we feel at our best due to the meet being on home turf.
“We are really excited to see what the athletes can achieve over the coming weeks, they are a credit to themselves, the club and the city.”
With the 2020 Championships being cancelled due to the pandemic it is an exciting time for the swimmers and for the swimming club as this year also sees the largest squad that COSSS have ever sent to the British Championships.
John Hewitt, Chairman of COSSS said: “With over 53 swimmers qualifying at our home pool it will be great to see them in action, they have had a difficult few years and it will be a great opportunity for them to compete against the best in the country.”
Olympic champion Adam Peaty will be returning to Ponds Forge where he took two gold medals in 2017 along with Olympic medallists James Guy, and Duncan Scott who will also be competing in the event.
