Wave of record-breaking performances by Orkney swimmers!

A record-breaking weekend of swimming took place at the Pickaquoy Centre as part of the Orkney Age Groups meet recently. 

The event got off to a flying start – with Performance Development Programme (PDP) athlete, Eve Wood, achieving what is hoped will be confirmed as a new Scottish record for age 16 years in the 50m butterfly with a time of 27.22. 

Eve also broke meet records for the 100m free, 100m fly, 100m back and 200m individual medley. 

Fellow PDP athlete, Alfie Price, broke four meet records, the longest standing being Jimmy Poke’s 44-year-old 100 free record. Alfie took an astonishing almost three seconds off this with a time of 53.64. He also broke Matthew Pye’s 100m back record from 1994. 

The Performance Development Programme is a scheme run through Orkney Islands Council (OIC) and sportscotland. Through the programme support is given to athletes on the performance pathway which includes physical preparation, performance lifestyle support, nutrition support and physio guidance. 

Tamsin Blowfield broke two of Kerris Sinclair’s records from 2013 in the 12–13-year age group in the 100m free and 200m individual medley.  

Magnus Kirkpatrick broke Hanson Pottinger’s 38-year-old 100m breaststroke record for the 14–15-year-old age group with a time of 1.13.04. Magnus also broke Hanson’s 1988 200m individual medley meet record but this was short lived as Alfie Price then took a further nine seconds off it in the following race!  

Newcomer Erin McLeod also set a new meet record in the girls 9 & under 50m free.  

For a few of the younger swimmers this was their first meet so lots of new times set, and a huge number of personal bests were achieved for the majority of other swimmers competing. 

A number of the swimmers are also supported by the Athlete Travel Award Scheme. Now in its eighth year, the scheme is a targeted partnership between sportscotland, Stagecoach and Councils in the Highlands and Islands - Orkney Islands, Western Isles, Shetland Islands and Highland Councils – and is aimed at helping elite pathway sports people in these regions with the extra costs of accessing development opportunities – without having to relocate from their communities.