Dorset County Championships 2026 – Days 1 and 2.
Report by Barry Alldrick, Head Coach, Talbot Heath Swimming Academy
The first weekend of the Dorset County Championships proved to be a memorable one for our 14-strong Talbot Heath team. Across 48 events, the girls delivered 42 season bests and 28 lifetime personal bests — and impressively earned 17 age-group medals and 4 championship medals, a brilliant return that reflected their courage in competition and their ability to pull each other forward as a team.
The Championships span a wide range of age groups, from the combined 10/11 category through to 17+, with the added challenge of earning Junior (15/U) and Senior Championship podiums and medals.
A Confident Start for Our Newest Qualifiers:
Junior school pupils Vera and Arabella made their county debuts and rose to the moment. Competing in the younger half of the double age group, they produced personal bests in every swim and climbed the rankings through sheer determination and grit.
Senior pupils competing in their debut Counties, Mila and Zaara, showed real courage in stepping up to this level. Mila earned a season’s best in the 200m IM and 200m Fly, while Zaara achieved impressive personal bests in the 100m Free and 50m Breast.
Medal Performances Driven by Teamwork:
Caidee S enjoyed a standout weekend, winning Gold in the 200m IM, 100m Breaststroke and 200m Breaststroke. The latter event earned Caidee places on both the Senior (Bronze) and Junior (Silver) Championship podiums. Caidee added Junior silver in the 100m Breaststroke, plus age-group silver medals in the 200m Fly and 50m Breaststroke, showing great determination.
Carmen added two more Golds to the tally, winning the 400m Freestyle and taking second on the Senior podium. She then dropped a remarkable three seconds in the 50m Breaststroke to win Gold again, and secured silver in the 200m Breaststroke.
Romilly H collected three medals — silver in the 400m Free and bronze in the 50m and 200m Breaststroke — while Victoria H matched her medal-for-medal with silver in the 100m Breaststroke and bronzes in the 50m and 200m Breaststroke. Their efforts underlined how much our squad thrives when they push together.
Courage and Confidence Building:
Florence took a well-earned silver in the 100m Backstroke, and Coco continued that momentum, posting personal bests across the weekend, culminating with a bronze in the 200m Fly. Eliza L further earned a silver medal in the 200m Fly.
Yasmin T reached both finals in the 50m and 100m Breaststroke, finishing 5th and 7th respectively.
Blossom placed 6th in the 200m Breaststroke, and Eliza C claimed season bests in both the 100m Free and 100m Back.
A developing team:
Beyond the medals and times, what stood out most was the way the girls supported each other. They prepared together, shared feedback, respected the demands of the competition by eating, hydrating and stretching with intent, and approached each race with purpose. Their teamwork was evident from the warm-up pool to the final whistle.
Inspirational Coach:
A special mention goes to coach Karen, who, with pupils screaming for her at the end of the lane, competed in the 50m Breaststroke, earning her best time in three years, coming out of the water with a beaming smile.
Support:
A big thank you to Emma and Maria for team managing and volunteering, and to Sam for officiating over the weekend. These events do not happen without parental support and we appreciate your support.
Well done:
We pass on a huge well done to every one of the girls — your courage, your togetherness, and the curiosity in developing yourselves and your events shone through!
