Saturday 21 November saw the annual English Schools Swimming National Championships at the London Aquatics Centre.  The College swimming team had qualified inside the top thirty in the country in all four events!

First event for the girls’ team was the 4x50m freestyle - on qualifying times we were the third fastest on paper and swam in heat 1.  The girls won their heat with a clear 4 seconds on 2^nd place but our main competitors were yet to swim.  After the heats the girls were in 4^th place behind Millfield College with only 0.05 seconds separating them from medal position.  With a change to the Millfield team for the final, Farnborough found themselves in 4^th place behind Millfield School, Mount Kelly College and Plymouth College - all private schools with specialist swimming programmes. Sixth Form College Farnborough are the best state College in the Country!

The senior boys’ 4x50m medley relay was next and on qualifying Farnborough were fourteenth on paper.  With a team carrying both illness and injuries the boys had their work cut out for them to make the final ten.  Unfortunately, the boys did not make the final and instead their thoughts turned to the freestyle event.

The senior girls’ 4x50m medley heats followed (the girls’ preferred event). Again, the girls swam in the first heat and won in 2.02.37 seconds - 8 seconds clear of the rest of the field, now they just had to wait for the other two heats.  With only Plymouth and Mount Kelly ahead of them and Millfield hot on their tails with a time of 2.02.72 a medal was theirs for the taking in the final. 

Lara Charlton set off on the backstroke and touched in first place, Sarah Tripp followed on the breastroke placing us second. Imogen Smith was next on fly and as Maddie Exton entered the water for the final leg all four teams were level.  The girls smashed their previous time and finished in 2.00.42 taking 3^rd place ahead of Millfield (2.00.85).

The boys’ 4x50m freestyle heats were next and, again on paper, the boys were in fourteenth place with the final as their aim. Fantastic swims by the quartet (Mario Bisi, Jamie Cunningham, Oliver Broad and James Batty) the boys just had to wait for the other heats results.  Unfortunately, the boys were touched out of the final by 0.18 seconds placing them twelfth.

Emma Stephens, Head of PE said “It has been a fantastic day of swimming for the College and the first time our girls’ team have ever medalled.  The College consistently performs well and to be performing at the same standard as the likes of Millfield School is exceptional, I am very proud of all the swimmers.”