5 October 2022
Last Thursday Abingdon hosted the English Schools Swimming Association qualification event for Oxfordshire secondary schools. This saw schools including King Alfred’s, Radley, Eton, St Birinus, Didcot Girls’, Didcot Sixth Form, Oxford High, Headington, St Helen and St Katharine, St John’s, Dragon and Sibford compete in 4 x 50 Medley and Freestyle relay races.
New to swimming together, the U14 squad swam a respectable 2:46.41 in the Medley and a 2:30.19 in the freestyle, finishing 4th in both races.
Abingdon’s U16 medley team won their race in a time of 1:58.18, breaking the school record of 1:59.50 set in 2020. The freestyle team also won their race, in an impressive time of 1:47.08.
The U18 squad swam the medley race in 1:52.57, demolishing the previous record of 1:53.50 set in 2019. Their freestyle time was 1:43.60, not far off the school record. The team won both their races comfortably with the freestyle Eton and St Birinus battling it out for the remaining podium places.
