With a home Varsity Match only two weeks away, the Cambridge University swimmers were looking to gain valuable race practice last weekend at the City of Cambridge Swimming Club Open Meet, held at Parkside Pools, Cambridge. The weekend was an unquestionable success with the team rising to the challenge of tough competition from swimming clubs from across the country.

The highlight of the meet was the Freestyle ‘skins’ events. After seven action-packed rounds, last year’s Men’s Captain Tom Close powered past six-time Blue Viktor Stein in the final of the Men’s event, whilst in the Ladies’ event this year’s Captain Emma Game took the honours. Over the weekend, the Cambridge team won a total of twelve individual titles, including several clean sweeps of the medals.

Saturday started with Ben Yeoh and Graeme Spence crafting out victory, followed closely by Cambridge colleagues in 100m Breaststroke and 100m Butterfly respectively. Tom Rose pulled off a dominating performance in the 400m Individual Medley, just shy of the University Record. Brett McLean, endured a punishing schedule but ended the meet in great form, winning titles in two of his less favoured events.

The Ladies’ team was up against a strong contingent of City of Birmingham swimmers, including a current GB International. With only two swimmers allowed in each event at Varsity, freshers Natalie Moores, Natalie Couling and Heather Moores, alongside veteran Cat Dobson, gave Captain Emma a selection headache with very little separating them as they all posted promising times in the 100m Backstroke.

The team come back to Cambridge in great shape after an eight day training camp in Crystal Palace and the Ladies’ Captain Emma Game was pleased with how the weekend went. “The team’s performance this weekend highlighted just how well our preparations have gone. As a team we are strong across the full Varsity programme, and I am confident we will all be ready to swim some great times.”

Olivia Day