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Medal glory

Dave Lawrenson
7/ 8/2008

SALFORD’S swimmers did the city proud by winning six medals at the National Youth Championships in Sheffield.

And the City of Salford Swimming Club’s medal glory was capped off by dynamic duo Amanda Nugent and Heather Frederiksen being crowned national champions.

The club also won six medals at the National Age Group Champion-ships the previous week.

And club coach John Stout said: "I am delighted with all of our athletes. To come away from the National Age Group and Youth Championships with three new national champions and 12 medals is outstanding.

"The people of Salford should feel very proud that our city has produced six national champions in the past three years in James Doolan, Luke Wood, Heather Frederiksen, Amanda Nugent, Daniel Phillips and Elliot Hynes.

"This demonstrates the strength of the Salford Community Leisure Training Scheme and how positively it can impact on the lives of young people in Salford.

"The city has some fantastic young athletes who have worked incredibly hard to bring recognition to the city of Salford."

Nugent, aged 17, stormed to victory in her favourite 200 metres butterfly event in the National Youth Championships, setting a world class time of 2mins 13.97secs. That would probably be good enough to qualify for the final of the event at the Beijing Olympics.

She also picked up a bronze medal in the 100m butterfly, lowering her personal best by nearly two seconds.

Frederiksen, aged 24, is in fine form going into the Paralympics in Beijing. She won gold in the multi-disability 100m freestyle in Sheffield, silvers in the 100m backstroke and 400m freestyle plus bronze in the 50m freestyle.

Salford’s other medal winner was Worsley’s Richard Howard, aged 20. He secured his first major championship medal by finishing third in the 100m butterfly in a personal best time of 1min 7.74secs and qualified for next season’s GB performance programmes in the process.

Katrina Alder, aged 16, came fourth once and fifth twice after reaching three finals.

Eccles College 17-year-olds Jessica Twigg and Danielle Naylor both reached two finals.

Twigg finished sixth and 10th while Naylor came eighth and 10th.

They also joined forces with Nugent and Alder to take fifth spot in the 4x200m relay.

Rebecca Minihan, aged 16, was eighth in the 200m breaststroke and Oliver Williams, aged 15, recorded three big personal best times.

Salford’s medal winners at the National Age Group Champion-ships were 14-year-old Daniel Phillips (two gold and two silver) and 12-year-old Elliot Hynes (one gold and one silver).