02/08/2026
Day 5, the final day of Welsh summer meet for 2026.
Our swimmers had a heck of a day today.
Where do I start?
The morning saw our senior swimmers drawing on all their experience to create race plans.
Some executed them brilliantly, some took away some really valuable lessons, some felt the full weight of lactate, and delivered despite it.
Noah swam his 3rd endurance event of the week, having had cracking swims in the 1500 and the 400 today he took on the 800.
Smiles and chuckles afterwards when mistakes with plans were realised, and despite the lactate in his shoulders which kicked in at 200m Noah had a heck of swim, especially considering he’d already swum a 100 fly less than an hour earlier, and swum really close to pb!
Ella, Elin, Joe, Tom and Bryn all made finals in the 50bc with Elin, Morgan P, Morgan F and Bryn all qualifying for the 100 Fly.
Finals were set to be exciting.
First up was the 50bc,
The entire bank of spectators groaned as Ella going in fastest to the final, left the wall a fraction before the starting signal. She knew she’d done it, but still gave a fabulous show, finishing nearly a body length ahead of everyone, only to hear the disqualification announced later. It was a fabulous swim, really hard to be denied, but I know she’ll bounce back for next time.
Elin enjoyed a fab swim in her final, fixing her start from the heats, and leading from the front, she took a well earned Gold.
The 50 bc finals came thick and fast, it was the boys turn
Tom went in first seeded 4th after a good heat swim. He raised his game with a simple plan to nail his start get up quickly and “just go max”
His start was spot on and his stoke looked good all the way down the length, nailing the finish, Tom took Bronze ans knocked nearly a second off his heat swim.
Bryn swam a great length, looking easy down the length, and again swimming a faster time than his heats. Very impressive.
Joe was also going in 4th and with a very similar race plan - family tactics?
He came away with a faster time than his heats and sneaked a little PB to boot.
Morgan F, kicked off the 100 fly action, and smashed her final delivering exactly to her race plan, she showed them all how to do starts and underwaters coming up ahead, of the field off the start. Her heats and finals times were very similar, a credit to her after an exhausting 400m fr earlier in the day. She took home a Bronze for her hard work.
Elin went out hard, down the 1st 50 of her 100 fly, and dug deep to maintain her lead and take her second Gold of the afternoon, with a little Pb as a bonus.
Bryn also laid down his intent from the start going in as fastest qualifier he wasn’t going to give this race up, and lead from the start all the way to the end. He also manged a faster time in the final than he had done in the heats.
And Morgan P finished the races for City of Hereford this year in an incredibly close 100 fly final. He swam a fabulous race with the pack at the front all the way through, showing real determination and stamina, to clinch a PB and again beat his own heat time.
I have felt incredibly privaledged to have supported this group of swimmers this week. They’ve have shown development just over the course of this meet.
I’ve learned the difference between
“Not bothered” and “Can’t be bothered” and I won’t be underestimating “not bothered” again Joe!
I’ve seen disappointed swimmers bounce back and deliver the very next race and I’ve seen so much learning, that I can’t wait to see put into action at the next meet, and beyond the pool too.
They’ve have all done City of Hereford Proud.
