Kate Shortman and Mimi Gray win National Awards

English synchronised swimmers Kate Shortman and Mimi Gray both won honours at the Swim England National Awards 2017 at the University of Birmingham.

The event took place at the university’s Great Hall, and recognised the vast contribution of individuals and organisations from all areas of the sport.

Jane Nickerson, Swim England CEO, said: “We have so many inspirational people involved at all levels of our sport and it is wonderful to have the opportunity to celebrate them at the Swim England National Awards.

“The day is also about thanking those behind the scenes who continue to encourage us to do our best, particularly our family and friends. I am thrilled that so many people were able to join us in Birmingham.

“On behalf of all everyone involved with swimming, I would like to congratulate all our finalists for their achievements.”

Shortman takes home Performance Athlete of the Year for Synchro

Shortman has enjoyed has enjoyed success all year and shown her huge potential by reaching the Solo Free final on her World Championships debut in Budapest.

The City of Bristol swimmer scored 83.4667 for her routine, sealing the 12th qualification spot in the World Championships final. The 15-year-old was the youngest competitor in the 32-strong field at the competition. She showed maturity beyond her years to impress the judges with her passionate routine, beating her personal best.

This result made Shortman the first British synchronised swimmer to qualify for a World Championship final since 2013.

Shortman, who also competed in the Duet in Budapest alongside partner Isabelle Thorpe, said: “I would like to thank everyone for this award.

“It’s been an amazing year for me. Making the Solo final at the World Championships in Budapest was definitely the highlight. I’ve set the bar really high and my focus now is on Tokyo 2020.”

Gray wins England Talent Athlete of the Year for Synchro

Gray took the England Talent Athlete of the Year award for her consistency and work ethic whilst training with the England Talent Synchro programme.

At the end of 2016, Gray took a clean sweep of titles at the National Age Group Synchronised Swimming Championships in Gloucester. At just 13, she impressed judges to take gold medals in the Figures, Solo, Duet and Team events.

Gray commented: “I was selected for GB juniors and seniors in September. It’s quite hard training with the senior team, but it’s very interesting.

“My target for next year is to be selected to compete for the GB senior team”

• Click here to find out more about the Swim England National Awards and see all of the 2017 categories.