With only 6 months to go until the new £16.5 million swimming facility is completed, near Hunslet, this was the last of the North Eastern Senior/Junior Regional Championships to take place in the old International Pool in the centre of Leeds. The finance for the new pool was raised with money from the National Lottery and the sale of the old pool as a prime city centre development site. Next year's spring county championship in February and March will be the last major event at which Skipton's swimmers will compete at the old facility, with the first gala in the new pool targeted to be the City of Leeds Early Bird Meet in Oct 2007.

With most swimmers across the region still in heavy winter training it was not going to be the fastest swimmer that won races, more the toughest. Having trained well, the Skipton swimmers were keen to produce solid early season swims that would stand them in good stead as they train into their first target meet of the year at the beginning of Dec in Wolverhampton.

Jenna Chatburn produced the only medal for the team in securing a 2nd place in the junior category of the 50m Breaststroke in a time of 36.01, although her heat time of 35.63 saw her produce a faultless technical swim and a lifetime best. She is now only 0.6 off a Senior British Championship Time. She also swam in the final of the 200 Breaststroke, 2.51.33, finishing 8th in the seniors but a creditable 5th in the juniors and was just off her best in a time of 2.49.39 in the heat. Another two solid performances in the 200 and 400 Medley rounded off the weekend for her.

Alex Belk, now 16, had a true class field to swim with in the 200 breaststroke event. Both his heat and final swim had the Commonwealth Gold Medallist, Chris Cook swimming in the centre lane. His heat swim of 2.37.35 was on 2.5 seconds off his best time and with a few race pace changes he swam a very solid paced race in the final to finish in 7th place in a time of 2.36.84. Chris Cook won the event in a time of 2.20 39. Alex made a further 2 more finals over the weekend, with his best result being a personal best in the 50 butterfly heat, 27.72. Making the final was the easy part, as his 200 breaststroke final was immediately before the 50 butterfly final. Having finished his breaststroke race the officials gave him time to dry off and walk the 50 metres to the other end of the pool before calling him to the block for the start of the 50 sprint. He sprinted well to the half way point and had to really call on his reserves to complete the race and finished with a brave 8th, 28.70. His last final was the 200IM where his swam to his entry time in the heat and was the 4th fastest to qualify for the final. His opening 150m saw him nearly 1 sec up on his heat time but just faded at the end to record a time of 2.20.36, finishing 5th.

Julia Scrivin, who only a few weeks ago produced one of the best swims for Yorkshire at the Inter Counties in the 100 back, swam for the first time this season on her other favoured event of 200 back. Suffering with fatigue and tiredness from having a cold, cough and sore throat she swam a very courageous swim to record her 2nd National time for 2007 with a time of 2.29.23. This was enough to give her a final but she withdrew and did not swim any further races that weekend.

Hannah Robertshaw was the youngest swimmer to represent Skipton at the Regionals. She was so near to recording an early National time in the 100 and the 200 backstroke that she must surely get them in the next few months. Her time of 1.11.51 in the heat of the 100 was only 0.02 seconds off a National time but it gave her, her first senior final at only 13 years of age. She was the youngest in the region to make final. Finishing 7th in the senior but 6th in the juniors but again just missing the time by 0.5. Her 200 was a solid swim for this part of the year and was only a few seconds shy of the required time with more to come in the following months.

Finally, Ellie Belk produced a very well paced 800 freestyle. Her opening 400m was at her best, 4.59.81, she just lost abit of focused through the middle part of the race. The last 100 was very strongly paced to finish with a time of 10.06.58 which is about 1% of her lifetime best time.

The age group swimmers at the club look forward to the end of the month where they will compete at their Regionals Championships at The Hydro, Harrogate.