The Bournemouth Primary Schools gala hosted by Swim Bournemouth was an opportunity for the Talbot Heath swimming academy pupils to showcase their swimming skills and test themselves against pupils of other local schools. For some girls it was their first experience of a competition and they rose to the occasion and all girls swam with courage and determination.
Year 5 Gala
The year 5 swimmers were the first to compete in the event. Polly swam brilliantly to take 1st place in the 50m backstroke which set a high standard for the rest of the gala. In the 50m breaststroke Lilac kept the winning streak going with another 1st place, and just two races later she was racing again; this time in the 25m butterfly. Lilac raced really well and finished strongly to take 2nd place. Polly was then back in the pool for her second individual event, this time the 50m freestyle; she raced hard and was rewarded with another 1st place.
Next up was the excitement of the relays. The team of Polly, Shriya, Lilac and Lila raced hard and took a close 2nd place in the freestyle relay. The last event was the mixed stroke relay: Polly gave the team a good lead in the first leg of backstroke and Shriya maintained the lead with an excellent breaststroke leg. Next up was Lilac with a brilliant butterfly swim and then to much excitement Lila held onto the lead on the freestyle leg. The girls were rewarded with 1st place.
The team spirit was amazing and the girls really supported each other in their races. The final medal count was 3 gold and 1 silver in the individual events and gold and silver in the relay events meaning that each swimmer had at least 2 medals. This was a fantastic result and a testament to their hard work and dedication.
Year 6 Gala
After the excitement and noise of the year 5 gala it was time for the year 6 swimmers to showcase their talents. First up was Jess in the 100m free which was only open to club swimmers. Jess raced brilliantly to take 3rd place in the event setting a new personal best time. After a very short recovery Jess was in the pool again in the 50m backstroke; she raced strongly to take 2nd place. Next up was Kiara racing in the 50m breaststroke, she swam with determination and was rewarded with 1st place. It was then time for Angelica’s first race, the 25m butterfly; Angelica had a gutsy swim and it was a blanket finish. The Talbot Heath supporters in the spectator gallery could not determine if she had managed to snatch a medal but there was great delight when Angelica was announced in 2nd place. Angelica was then back in the pool racing in the 50m freestyle. This time there was not a nail-biting wait for the result as it was clear that Angelica had taken 1st place.
After the conclusion of the individual events it was once again time for the relays. First up was the freestyle team of Sarah, Charley, Kezia and Angelica. All the girls raced really well and finished in 3rd place. However when the results were announced there was much surprise and delight to hear that the girls had been upgraded to 1st place. The final relay was the mixed stroke relay. Jess set a really good lead in the backstroke leg which was then maintained by Sarak, swimming breaststroke. Kiara was next in the pool swimming breaststroke and she valiantly held off the other swimmers especially the ones swimming butterfly. Finally it was Charley on the freestyle leg who swam with guts and determination to hold onto 1st place. The excitement on poolside and in the spectator gallery was at a real high.
The year 6 girls, some of whom were swimming for Talbot Heath for the last time, did brilliantly well and came away with 2 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze in the individual events and double gold in the relay events. This meant that all the girls went home with at least one medal.
Thanks must go to Swim Bournemouth for organising and hosting the event and their performance swimmers for brilliant exhibitions swims which definitely inspired the girls. A huge well done to the exceptional Talbot Heath swimmers and noisy and supportive parents in the spectator gallery.
