Niamh rewrites record books 'down south'...

Since her move to Mount Kelly School in Devon, Pioneer 79 Swimming Club’s 17year old swimmer, Niamh Robinson has been rewriting the record books! 

The school which has been very successful academically and in the pool over the years has produced over 60 international swimmers and since 2000, with more than 17 squad members representing their country at International and Major Championships, including Commonwealth Games, Olympics, Paralympics, European Junior Championships, Summer Youth Olympic Games, World Senior and Junior Championships, however it’s record books have been rapidly changing since the start of the 2016-2017 swimming season!

Niamh has competed in a couple of Open Competitions since setting out on her new adventure, and has achieved Mount Kelly Age Group Records (MK AG) in 50/100/200 Breaststroke, 50/100/200 Butterfly, 100/200 Individual Medley, and also Mount Kelly Open Records (MK Open) in 50/100/200  Breaststroke, 50/100 Butterfly and 200 Individual Medley. 

At the Recent South West Regional Short Course Championships, held at Millfield School, Street, Niamh entered 8 events.  In probably her least favourite event, the 100m Freestyle, she was slightly  disappointed with her swim finishing 34^th overall in 59.65.  In the heat of the 50m Breaststroke, her time of 32.50 qualified fastest for the final, where she went on to maintain her position, and produce a pb time of 32.22 which was both a new MK AG & Open Record, this time also places her #4 in the UK for her age.  In the final, the Mount Kelly Swimmers stole the podium, taking Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals. 

In the heat of the 100m Breaststroke, Niamh produced a time of 1.08.83, just slightly slower than her PB, but qualified 2^nd fastest for the final less than a second behind 19year old Loughborough University Student, Beth Aitchison.  In the final she maintained her position, finishing in a marginally slower time of 1.08.87. In the 17year age group for this event, Niamh is currently ranked #2 in the UK.

In the 100m Backstroke heat, Niamh qualified 3^rd fastest for the final in a new PB of 1.01.91 which was also a new Isle of Man Open Short Course Record.  In the final she was pipped into 4^th place by team mate Emily Cutler and finished in a slightly slower time of 1.02.19 with her heat time, she is now #5 in her age group for this event.  In the 50m Butterfly heat, Niamh’s time of 28.26 qualified her 5^th fastest for the final, where she went on to swim a faster time once again of 28.09, finishing just outside the medals in 4^th position, setting new MK AG & Open Records and is now ranked #6 in the UK for her age group.

Niamh’s 100m Butterfly heat time of 1.02.95 qualified her 6^th fastest for the final, however, in the final she went on to better her position as well as her time, finishing 3^rd in 1.01.24, setting MK AG & Open Records in the process, placing her #5 in the UK for her age group in this event!  In the 100m Individual Medley, her heat time of 1.04.01, although slightly slower than her pb, was new MK AG & Open Records, and qualified her 2^nd fastest for the final.  In the final, she again maintained her position, finishing 2^nd in 1.04.02.  Niamh is currently ranked #1 in the UK for her age in this event with a personal best time of 1.02.04.  Her final event was the 200m Individual Medley, with a heat time of 2.15.34 she qualified fastest for the final, where Niamh went on to better her time to 2.14.18, taking the Gold medal, and setting once again, new MK AG & Open Records.  Niamh is currently ranked #2 in this event for her age-group, with just 2016 Olympic Swimmer, Georgia Coates from City of Leeds ahead of her!

Throughout this event, Niamh was also aiming to achieve Short Course Winter National Qualifying Times to enable her to compete in Sheffield during December; over the course of the two days of competition, she produced 13 swims inside these times in 7 of the 8 events she entered.  To date, she has achieved qualification times for 50/100m Backstroke, 50/100/200m Breaststroke, 50/100/200m Butterfly and 100/200m Individual Medley.  As Niamh is now 17 years of age, the times she is required to achieve are for the ‘open’ age group, which means that at the Nationals, she will now be competing against the top swimmers in Great Britain and is currently ranked within the top 25 in the country in 5 events (50/100/200 Breast and 100/200 IM)

Niamh is also currently within the window for achieving Commonwealth Games Consideration Times which will go towards her attempt for selection onto the Isle of Man Team for the 2018 Commonwealth Games, being held on Australia’s Gold Coast, April 2018.  The window to achieve these times opened on 1^st October 2015 and the final date for qualification times is November 30^th 2017.  To date Niamh has consideration times, both short course and long course in 9 events, having achieved them no fewer than 78 times since the window opened.

Niamh would like to sincerely thank her current sponsors for their continued support, TP Properties Blackburn, Grace Cole Ltd, Cheadle, Kozii UK and WM Lloyd’s Charity Trust, Darwen; their assistance has been instrumental to her success, enabling access to Physiotherapy treatment, vital training equipment, costumes, competition entry fees and accommodation