Scottish Swimming, West District Grand Prix, 14-15 January 2012

Scottish Swimming’s Grand Prix Open Meet Series was launched last weekend, and taking part in the inaugural meet at East Kilbride in the West District round was 15 year old Donnie Price, representing South Mainland Amateur Swimming Club. The recently refurbished Dollan Aqua Centre, the oldest 50 metre ‘long course’ pool in Scotland, originally built in imperial measure 55 yards, attracted a good number of top swimmers, many who, like Donnie, are in one of the Scottish Squads. He lined up against other competitors from the Youth Development Squad in each of his 6 races. Saturday morning started off with a good swim in the 100m breaststroke where he produced a long course PB and later on matched this in the 100m freestyle.

After an unusually quiet day for Donnie, he had a more typical Sunday with 4 races in the morning session. In his first event, the 400m freestyle, he demonstrated very good pacing and another long course PB. Finishing 7th overall meant he had achieved a place in the evening’s ‘B’ final. First of all he had to compete in the 200m breaststroke, the 200m freestyle and 200m IM, all resulting in times equalling PBs. At the beginning of the evening finals, it was learnt that due to a swimmer withdrawing Donnie would now have a place in the ‘A’ final and hence he found himself lined up with the top batch of older and bigger swimmers. He produced another good swim with a time just a touch outside his heat time and finished, much as expected in 6th place.

Andrea Strachan, Amy Harper & Donnie Price were in action at Scottish Swimming’s Grand Prix Open Meet Series which was launched last weekend, with the inaugural meet at East  Kilbride in the West District.  The recently refurbished Dollan Aqua Centre, the oldest 50 metre ‘long course’ pool in Scotland, originally built in imperial measure 55 yards, attracted a good number of top swimmers, many of whom, like the Shetland trio are in Scottish National Squads.

Always a difficult time of year to compete after the excesses of Christmas and disruption to training, the girls managed to find their form.  Andrea took Gold in the 50m Breaststroke and Silver in the 100m Breaststroke and finished a respectable 4th in the final of the 50m Freestyle. Amy had to share the podium with Sarah Hamilton of South Aberdeenshire as they finished first equal in the 50m freestyle. And in the 100m freestyle Amy claimed the Bronze. Both girls would like to express their thanks to the Shetland Recreational Trust and the staff of the Scalloway Pool for opening for four days between Christmas and New Year to keep the disruption to their training to a minimum.

In each of his 6 races, 15 year old Donnie Price, representing South Mainland Amateur Swimming Club lined up against competitors which included members of the Youth Development Squad that he had trained with in Stirling between Xmas and New Year. Saturday morning started off with a good swim in the 100m breaststroke where he produced a long course PB and later on matched this in the 100m freestyle. After an unusually quiet day for Donnie, he had a more typical Sunday with 4 races in the morning session. In his first event, the 400m freestyle, he demonstrated very good pacing and another long course PB. Finishing 7th overall meant he had achieved a place in the evening’s ‘B’ final. First of all he had to compete in the 200m breaststroke, the 200m freestyle and 200m IM, all resulting in times equalling PBs. At the beginning of the evening finals, it was learnt that due to a swimmer withdrawing Donnie would now have a place in the ‘A’ final and hence he found himself lined up with the top batch of older and bigger swimmers. He produced another good swim with a time just a touch outside his heat time and finished, much as expected in 6th place.