COAST Archive 2002 News
Scottish Age Group & Open June 18 - 23
Scottish National League win @ NSA
Stirling Performance by COAST!
BP Xmas Meet Inverness December 02
The City of Aberdeen Swimming Team (COAST) took a team 44 swimmers up to Inverness to take part in the first national age group championships of the season. Although the COAST squads are in the middle of heavy training, they still managed to collect a total of 28 medals across the four age group categories.
Head Coach Eileen Adams was delighted with her team's overall performance and attitude.
Top individual performer for COAST was 14 year old Cults schoolboy Robbie Renwick who won two golds in the 13/14 age group 200m (1.59.48) and 1500m Freestyle (16.48.49) also picking up a silver in the 400m Freestyle and a bronze in the 100m Backstroke. There were also gold medals for Martin Leel in the 17/over 200m Butterfly (2.10.89) and Tom Lindsay in the 13/14 100m Backstroke (1.02.02).
Date: 5th, 6th October, 2002 Venue: Westhill
COAST Lift First Trophy of the Season
The strength in depth of COAST was evident during this two day competition held in Westhill.
Top performance of the meet came from Commonwealth Games swimmer David Carry in the Men's 400m Freestyle winning in a time of 3.54.77. The impressive Carry dominated the Men's competition lifting 5 more titles:
100mFreestyle (52.15), 200m Freestyle (1.54.45), 100mButterfly (57.38 Senior North District Record), 200m Butterfly (2.09.41) and 200m Individual Medley (2.05.40).
In the women's competition, 15 year old Siobhan McMahon lead the way for COAST picking up gold in the 200m Breaststroke (2.45.46) along with silvers in the 200m Backstroke (2.27.33) and 100m Breaststroke ( 1.18.09).
Other notable performances came from 14 year old Robbie Renwick who took 2nd place in the Men's 800m Freestyle in a new District Age Group Record time of 8.51.95, 16 year old Scott Porteous who took the 200m Breaststroke title in 2.32.54 and 17 year old Scottish Junior Elite Squad member Martin Leel who took gold in the 800m Freestyle (8.43.38).
Head Coach Eileen Adams pronounced herself very satisfied with the team's overall performance this early in the season whilst insisting that COAST's heavy training programme is primarily geared to the long course competitions in Spring next year.
A stunning 45 new records have been achieved at LC and SC disciplines and more can be expected with an influx if nerw talent.
Long Course
Age
Event
Name
Time
Venue & Date
11/12
4 x 50m FS Relay
02:00.69
Tollcros June 02
11/12
4 x 50m IM Relay
02:15.34
Tollcros June 02
15/16
4 x 50m FS Relay
01:42.69
Tollcros June 02
15/16
4 x 50m IM Relay
01:54.95
Tollcros June 02
Open
4 x 100m FS Relay
03:38.67
Tollcros June 02
Open
4 x 100m IM Relay
04:10.87
Tollcros June 02
Open
4 X 200 m FS Relay
07:51.06
Tollcros June 02
Open
100m FS
Chris Whitcombe
00:52.98
Tollcros June 02
Open
200m BC
Robert Lang
02:09.86
Tollcros June 02
Open
200m FS
Chris Whitcombe
01:53.70
Tollcros June 02
Open
400m IM
Robert Lang
04:39.69
Tollcros June 02
13
100m FLY
Adrian O’Neill
01:06.54
Tollcros June 02
13
100m FS
Adrian O’Neill
00:59.90
Tollcros June 02
13
200m Fly
Adrian O’Neil
02:26.77
Tollcros June 02
13
200m IM
Adrian O’Neil
02:26.85
Tollcros June 02
13
400m IM
Adrian O’Neill
05:09.44
Tollcros June 02
13
50m BRS
Adrian O’Neill
00:36.23
Tollcros June 02
13
50m FS
Adrian O’Neill
00:28.08
Tollcros June 02
14
50m Fly
Tom Lindsay
00:29.13
Tollcros June 02
15
100m FS
Ranald Falconer
00:54.56
Tollcros June 02
15
50m BC
Ranald Falconer
00:29.06
Tollcros June 02
15
50m FS
Ranald Falconer
00:25.41
Tollcros June 02
16
100m BRS
Phillip lloyd
01:10.83
Tollcros June 02
16
100m FLY
Gregor McMillan
01:00.77
Tollcros June 02
16
200m BRS
Phillips lloyd
02:34.97
Tollcros June 02
16
200m FLY
Gregor McMillan
02:12.00
Tollcros June 02
16
50m BRS
Phillips lloyd
00:32.69
Tollcros June 02
16
50m FLY
Gregor McMillan
00:28.30
Tollcros June 02
Age
Event
Name
Time
Venue & Date
Open
200m BC
Gemma Sutherland
02:23.06
Tollcros June 02
15/16
4 x 50m FS Relay
01:54.15
Tollcros June 02
15/16
4 x 50m IM Relay
02:07.70
Tollcros June 02
14
100m BRS
Charlotte Rigden
01:20.75
Tollcros June 02
15
100 FS
Gemma Sutherland
00:59.82
Tollcros June 02
Short course
Age
Event
Name
Time
Venue & Date
13
100m IM
Adrian O’Neill
01:08.00
Westhill May 02
13
200m Fly
Adrian O’Neil
02:25.62
Westhill May 02
13
200m IM
Adrian O’Neil
02:24.58
Westhill May 02
13
400M IM
Adrian O’Neill
05:01.11
Westhill May 02
15
100m FS
Ranald Falconer
00:55.09
Westhill May 02
16
100m BRS
Phillip lloyd
01:08.16
16
100m FLY
Gregor McMillan
01:00.64
16
200m BRS
Phillip lloyd
02:25.34
16
200m FLY
Gregor McMillan
02:10.94
Westhill May 02
16
50m BRS
Phillip lloyd
00:31.60
Westhill May 02
16
50m FLY
Gregor McMillan
00:27.95
Westhill May 02
Open
50m BC
Chris Whitcombe
00:27.79
Westhill May 02
Open
100m FS
Chris Whitcombe
00:51.62
Inverness April 02
Open
50m FS
Chris Whitcombe
00:24.41
Westhill May 02
Age
Event
Name
Time
Venue & Date
15
50m FS
Gemma Sutherland
00:27.70
15
200m BC
Gemma Sutherland
02:23.62
15
200m IM
Gemma Sutherland
02:23.89
15
100m FS
Gemma Sutherland
00:58.91
Newacstle Feb 02
14
1500m FS
Debbie Moore
18:31.89
Westhill May 02
11
50m BRS
Kerry Harris
00:41.24
Scottish Age Group & Open Championships June 18 - 23
This mammoth event attracted one of our biggest teams ever combining what is normally 2 separate competitions. The format meant that swimmers had to choose carefully which events they wanted particularly in 15 + age group. Over the 6 days there were some tremendous swims by COAST including Age group records set by Adrian O'Neill in practically every event he entered, Robbie Renwick in the 200 & 400 FS and an amazing new Scottish junior record for the 4 x 200m FS boys.
Overall COAST came second with a tally of 52 medals (22 gold, 18 silver, 12 bronze) which did not include medals from our new swimmers, Max Schneider and David Carry. We only lost out to City of Glasgow (57 medals) who fielded a much stronger open team.
Report on Westhill Invitational Meet 2002
The composite City of Aberdeen Swimming Team (COAST) were representing their own clubs this weekend in the last short course meet before the summer. With the Scottish National Age Group championships at Tollcross at the end of June and the British Age Group championships at Sheffield at the end of July providing the climax to the swimming season, this was one of the last chances to record a qualifying time for these events and it attracted a large entry largely from the North of Scotland clubs.
There were excellent performances from all the swimmers - highlights from day 1 of the competition included the clash between COAST teammates Ranald Falconer (Aberdeen Dolphins) and Iain Tough (Bridge of Don) in the final of the Boys 14/15 100m Freestyle final with Falconer just touching out Tough in a new meet record of 55.09. Ewan Porteous (Cult's Otters) excelled himself by gaining a silver in the 50m Fly "Skins" - essentially an elimination event swum over 5 rounds with the last placed swimmer dropping out at the end of each round. In the Girls competition it was 14 year old Bridge of Don's Debbie Moore who caught the eye with a time of 18.31.89 in the 1500m Freestyle.
In day 2 it was 12 year old Adrian O'Neill (Aberdeen Dolphins) who stole the show with a magnificent silver in the Open Age Group 400IM coming home in an incredible 5.01.11. 13 year old Natalie Fyvie from Dyce also impressed with her silver in the Open Age Group 400IM. In the 50m Freestyle "Skins" it was Aberdeen Dolphin's Commonwealth hopeful Chris Whitcombe who combined speed and endurance to take first place with Bon Accord Thistle's Robert Lang picking up the silver. Ranald Falconer gained his 2nd Meet record of the weekend with a win in the 100 Backstroke in a time of 1.02.07.
Bruised but Unbowed
COAST were on the receiving end of a harsh lesson on the need to develop Open Age Group swimmers when they took on the best in Britain at Crystal Palace this afternoon.
COAST, the National Speedo League's youngest finalists, are to be congratulated on a spirited performance with all the swimmers performing around their personal best times in the final a level up on last year's competition with many of the stars of British swimming representing their home clubs.
Scottish Champions COAST finished eighth in a fast and furious encounter that produced 6 championship records and was eventually won by Kingston-Upon-Hull with Portsmouth North Sea and Millfield finishing second and third respectively.
World ranked athletes Karen Pickering, Katy Sexton and Adam Whitehead were among the Open Age Group winners using the competition as part of their Commonwealth Games preparation.
The lack of Open Age Group Women competitors meant that the COAST girls all had to swim up an age group - a daunting experience but one that Head Coach Lynne Leigh believes will benefit COAST in the long term. "If we can keep our 14 and 15 year olds when they become Open Age Swimmers then the experience that they are gaining will make us significantly stronger."
Aberdeen should be proud of their young team - top class training facilities such as the proposed Olympic size pool (50m) in Aberdeen would help not only to keep our own talent but also to attract swimmers from the rest of Scotland and the UK and make COAST truly competitive on the British stage.
On Sunday 24th March 40 members of the City of Aberdeen Swim Team travelled to the National Swimming Academy in Stirling to compete in the Scottish round of the Speedo National League club competition.
This was the 4th time the competition has been held and it has been won by COAST on 2 of the 3 previous occasions.
As last years winners they were keen to hold on to the magnificent Red Cross Trophy and then to represent Scotland in the final at Crystal Palace at the end of April. As always there was fast and exciting racing and COAST had to work really hard to come through as deserved winners. The quality of competition was high – including 2 swimmers from Heart of Midlothian – Gregor Tait and Kirsty Balfour who are already selected for the Scottish Team for the Commonwealth Games.
The COAST team included swimmers from 11 years to 20 years of age and each one swam magnificently to win in the end by 10 points.
Two COAST teams were in action 400 miles apart this weekend - the young swimmers took the high road to the North District age Group championships in Inverness whilst a select group of older swimmers either in a National Team or on the fringes took the low road to Newcastle.
In Inverness, the six clubs that comprise COAST came home with 19 gold, 15 silver and 15 bronze medals and set 14 new meet records. Some of the most notable performances came from the youngest swimmers with outstanding results in a wide range of events.
Records were set by Nicola Shand and Natalie Fyvie of Dyce, Robbie Renwick and Paul Boef of Cults Otters, Andrew Jamieson, Tom Lindsay and Scott Kennedy of Aberdeen Dolphins and Debbie Moore of Bridge of Don.
In Newcastle, COAST's Angels from the North turned magpies with gold winning performances from Gillian Robb in the 800 and 400m Freestyle, Commonwealth Games hopeful Chris Whitcombe in the 1500m Freestyle, Rebecca Will (100m Backstroke), Gemma Sutherland (100m Freestyle) and Ewan Porteous (400m Freestyle). Philip Lloyd pocketed 3 creditable silvers, Ian Tough a silver
and 2 bronzes and Gregor MacMillan 2 silvers.
Westhill Invitational 12 - 13 Jan 02
COAST YOUNGSTERS FAST OFF THE BLOCKS
The young City of Aberdeen Swim Team (COAST) got off to a flying start in the first competition of the year at Westhill. Competing in the South Aberdeenshire Swimming Junior Meet, the 11-14 year olds showed the club’s potential and strength in depth.
The outstanding performer came in the shape of Craigiebuckler lad Adrian O’Neill. Scotland’s most improved 12 year old boy swimmer was just too hot to handle and took 6 golds, 1 silver and 1 bronze.
Dyce girl Nicola Shand dominated in the girls 11 years old competition – making a clean sweep with 7 gold medals and Debbie Moore from Oldmachar repeated the feat in the girls 13 years old events. Natalie Fyvie from Dyce was well acquainted with the medal presenters by the end of the competition with 8 medals.
The boys who caught the eye were 13 year old Robbie Renwick from Cults who took 4 medals, Bridge of Don lad Craig Thomson (3 medals), 13 year old Kyle O’Neill for his silver in the 1500metres Freestyle and on the comeback trail from injury, Aberdeen Grammar School pupil Tim Whitcombe who powered his way to a 23 second Personal Best in the 200metres Individual Medley.
COAST now looks forward to a hectic schedule of competition in the near future – with the defence of it’s position as Scotland’s number 1 club at the National Speedo League Final in Stirling in 3 weeks time the top priority.