Sunderland New Year Meet – Report.

Sunderland New Year Meet – Report.

Fifteen year old City of Sunderland swimmer Adam Taylor made it seven out of eight with a series of scintillating performances at the Sunderland New Year Open, to take seven gold medals and a silver from eight events at the Aquatic Centre meet. With a strong emphasis upon the freestyle and butterfly disciplines, Taylor topped the podium in the 100m, 200m and 400m freestyle, the 50m, 100m and 200m butterfly and the 200m individual medley. Newburn’s Tom Fullen spoilt the party in the 400m butterfly event when he touched Taylor into second place to prevent clean sweep, in what proved to be an outstanding weekend for the Sunderland swimmer.

The Sunderland girls also excelled with Lucy Ellis (15) winning gold medals in the 50m, 100m and 200m freestyle, the 100m and 200m backstroke and the 200m individual medley, with a silver in the 200m breaststroke and a bronze in the 100m butterfly. Sixteen year old Jennifer Tatters also chipped in with freestyle gold medals in the 50m, 100m, 200m and 400m distance events, as well as a 200m individual medley gold and a 100m backstroke silver. Emma Sinclair (15) took a hat trick of gold medals with victories in the 50m and 100m butterfly and the 400m individual medley and added to her haul with silver medals in the 200m backstroke and individual medley and bronze medals in the 50m backstroke and breaststroke events.

Fifteen year old Matthew Wylie continued his impressive form this season in the S9 disability category, with victories in the 200m and 1500m freestyle, 200m backstroke, 50m breaststroke and 50m butterfly. Wylie’s 1500m freestyle time of 18.40.23 bettered the S9 British long course record by 8.02 seconds, while his 800m split time of 9.55.77 also surpassed the British record time.

Jodi Bunker (12) won gold medals in the 200m breaststroke and butterfly events, silvers in the 400m individual medley, 200m and 400m freestyle, as well as bronze medals in the 100m butterfly and the 50m and 100m freestyle events. Freya Rayner (13) took the 50m backstroke and butterfly gold’s with silver medals coming in the 100m freestyle and 200m backstroke and a bronze medal in the 200m freestyle, while fellow thirteen year old Jessica Thompson also struck double gold in the 200m breaststroke and butterfly events and followed this up with a silver in the 100m butterfly and a bronze in the 200m individual medley.

For the boys, twelve year old Thomas Burns showed his prowess at 400m with victories in the freestyle and individual medley events and he also took silver medals in the same events at 200m distance, while James Brewerton (12) won the backstroke gold’s at 100m and 200m as well as a 100m freestyle bronze medal. Eleven year old Callum Dann also struck double gold with victories in the 50m butterfly and the 200m freestyle events.

The gold rush continued for Sunderland courtesy of Lida Abrie (15) who enjoyed victory in the 200m breaststroke, as well as four silver medals in the 50m and 100m breaststroke 50m and 200m freestyle events, Lucy Walton (15) who took the 200m freestyle gold, silver’s in the 100m freestyle and 200m breaststroke and bronze in the 100m breaststroke, Gabrielle Burdess (13) with the 400m individual medley gold and the 200m freestyle silver, while Abigail Carlisle (14) won the 800m freestyle gold medal. Joseph Pomfret (12) took the 200m butterfly gold, the 50m butterfly and 200m individual medley silver’s as well as the 400m freestyle bronze medal, while Jordan Henry (14) enjoyed victory in the 50m breaststroke, with bronze medals in the 50m backstroke, 100m and 200m breaststroke and the 200m individual medley events.

Other medallists for Sunderland were: Nine year old Joe Whelan – one silver. Ten year olds Ana Lazar – five silvers, Joseph Robbins – one bronze. Eleven year olds, Beth Nicholson – one silver and a bronze, Ben Hutchinson – one silver. Twelve year olds, Jay Whitehead – two silver and one bronze, Tom Whelan – one silver and a bronze, Amy Henshaw – one bronze. Thirteen year olds, Callum Reveley – one silver and two bronze, Georgina Lamb – one silver and a bronze, Christina Castledine – one bronze.  Fourteen year olds, Jack Tallentire – two silver and four bronze, Andrew Markham – two silver and one bronze, Ryan Henry – two silver, Joshua Campbell – one silver. Fifteen year old Sarah Morris won two bronze medals and seventeen year old Charlotte Mould won a silver medal.

Sunderland also excelled in the team events with a clean sweep of gold medals in the male and female 400m freestyle and 400m medley relay events, with outstanding performances coming from Lucy Walton, Gabrielle Burdess, Lucy Ellis, Freya Rayner, Lida Abrie, Emma Sinclair, Jennifer Tatters, Adam Taylor, Ryan Henry, Jack Tallentire, Matthew Wylie, Andrew Markham and Jordan Henry.