Kinsey and Peacock double up on golds as masters nationals conclude

Preston’s Michael Peacock and Stroud’s Sean Kinsey double up on national titles as the GoCardless Swim England Open Water National Masters Championships concluded at Rother Valley.

The 3km races were the final individual events of the day where Kinsey added 3km gold to the first-place he took in the 5k earlier in the day.

Kinsey, who won the longer race in 01:13:49, doubled-up with a time of 43:40 to finish four minutes ahead of Wray Shewell-Cooper of Potters Bar. Ilkeston’s Ian Wood won the bronze medal.

Speaking on the win he said: “I did the 5k this morning, and the 3k this afternoon so it’s been a long day!

“It was really tiring, I was super tired after the 5k, so it’s always good to win. “I really enjoyed it, was really good.”

Michael Peacock of Preston added 3k gold to his first-place in the 5k race earlier in the day by crossing the finish line in 43:18 to win the 35-39 Years race.

He was over four minutes clear of nearest challenger, Robert Gilbert from Andover who took silver.  Graeme Abrahams of Deepings took the bronze medal.

Heidi Nevin narrowly missed out on a hattrick of gold medals in the Female 55-59 Years 3km event, finishing just five seconds behind North Cornwall’s Jane Hushon.

Helen Andrews of South Downs Trojan’s won the bronze.

Fiona Carroll of City of Southampton won her third silver medal of the day when she was runner-up to Nottingham Leander’s Kirsty Stabler in the 30-34 Years Female race. Louise Rebekka Bester of Newham took the bronze.

Caldwell’s strategy pays off

Also celebrating a gold medal was Kellyn Caldwell of Wycombe District.

Crossing the line a whole eight minutes ahead of Boston’s Sally Norman in 42:27, who herself just beat Marisol Galarza Chau of Loughborough; Caldwell was delighted with her race.

“Yes, I’m really happy about it, it was a wonderful course and beautiful weather.

“Everything went really great today, so I was excited to swim – good competition as well.

“I’m here with my team-mates, and happy to be able to compete with them, and do our best, and I think we came out really well.”

Caldwell was pleased with her time.

“Yes, going into this, me and my team-mates did the South-East regional championships at 3k a few weeks ago.

“That really gave us the confidence going into the national championship.

“We did some training for it, but really, it’s about having confidence going into it, and being able to swim our best strategy, and I think it all worked out nicely.”

Caldwell originally hails from the USA, moving to the UK three years ago, and found swimming helped her to make friends in a new country.

“I swam collegiately in NCAA [US college sport] back in the US, and when I moved here, swimming was a wonderful way to meet people.

“So, I got back into swimming, and I’m so grateful, because my team-mates are my best friends now.

“Doing things like this really helps to bond us.

“We’ve made a nice event out of this.

“Going into this, it was just making sure we were prepped as well as we could be.”

Caldwell is not a stranger to open water swimming, having experienced it in the US.

“In the US, we do have wonderful lakes and opportunities.

“I think I did my first one [open water swim] when I was 10, and then I didn’t really do one until moving here.”

Leaving Rother Valley with silverware

In the Female 18-24 category, it was gold for Southport’s Scarlett Aspinall, who came in over three minutes ahead of nearest challenger, Brodie Judge of Wycombe District. Aspinall’s time being 44:29. Isabella Vinter of City of Lincoln Pentaqua took bronze.

Sally Carter of Nottingham Leander was victorious in the 25-29 section, crossing the finish line in 43:16. Aimee Smith (Trafford Metro) and Jessica Gillatt (Maidenhead) took silver and bronze respectively.

Hayley Davis won female 40-44 gold in a time of 47:54, nine minutes clear of silver-medallist, Newham’s Alaine Tsang.

Just over three minutes separated the medal winners in the female 50-54. Joanna Waterworth of Thirsk White Horse taking gold in 48:38, with GB Police’s Kate Arnold winning silver and Emma Willert of Trafford Met taking the bronze.

Frances Baker of Spencer won gold in the female 60-64 in 53:12, whilst team-mate, Amanda Heath won the female 65-69 in 50:47.

In the Open/Male events, the 40-44 Years gold was won by Richard Dann of Tynemouth in 40:17

He finished just over a minute ahead of Otter’s Pip Bennett who took silver. Alex Thurston from Nottingham Leander the bronze medal winner.

Etwall’s Chris Barlow took gold in the men’s 45-49, crossing the line in 46:23, three-and-a-half minutes clear of silver-medallist, Barrie Smith of City of Lincoln Pentaqua. Amir Saffari of Haringey took bronze.

Stuart Morgan of East Leeds took gold in the men’s 50-54, winning with a time of 43:28, denying Loughborough’s Justin Palfrey, who took silver, his third gold of the day. Loughborough team-mate, Nick White was third.

Myles Turner of West Suffolk won gold in the men’s 18-24 in a time of 39:53, nearly two minutes ahead of silver-medallist, South Lincs, Luke Blanchard.

Joshua Wong (43:18) narrowly beat Prescott’s Jake Simm to gold in the men’s 25-29.

Shane Coulson (49:17) of Hemel Hempstead won gold in the men’s 30-34 by an extraordinary 14 minutes from South London’s Michael Tsang.

In the men’s 55-59, Simon Griffiths of Teddington narrowly saw off the challenge of City of Norwich’s Simon Buchan to win in 44:42. Christopher Mathlin of GB Police took the bronze.

Robert Steel (Nottingham Leander) won gold in the men’s 65-69 in 52:21. Bill Hitchcock (no club) took top spot in the 70-74 section, crossing the line in 01:15:23.

Spencer’s Peter Stephens was triumphant in the 75-79, taking gold in a time of 01:11:54, whilst Tony Cherrington of Gloucester Masters swam a time 01:03:07 to win the 80-84.

First ever relays close out the Championships

City of Sheffield’s quartet of Jamie McHale, Jonathon Saunders, Edward Shattock and Andrew Wycherley won the first ever relay race at the GoCardless Swim England Open Water National Age Group Championships.

Swam over 4x400m, the event made it’s debut at the competition to allow teams to come together in open water just like they would in the pool.

It brought a brilliant conclusion to a fun filled weekend at Rother Valley where Sheffield’s swimmers got the honour of touching the line first.

Their gold came in the 200-239 Years Open/Male age group with a time of 23:36 thanks to strong swims from the entire group.

They were neck and neck with the team from Lincoln Pentaqua for the opening three legs until McHale put on the afterburners to take the lead.

He pulled clear to take the line first but Lincoln’s group still finished closely behind, setting a 24:10 to take a gold of their own in the 160-199 Years competition.

They were represented by Andrew Johnson, Daniel Evans, Jamie Hockley and Barrie Smith.

In the Female event, South Bedfordshire came out on top in a thrilling finale in the 160-199 Years relay race.

They touched the wall level with the Female City of Lincoln PentAqua team of Suzanne Hollick, Hannah Dodwell, Vicki Connelly and Judith Clarke.

It was the Bedfordshire quartet that just came out on top however in a time of 28:43 thanks to the team of Christine Ayers, Kayley Budd, Jaqueline Maycock and Emma Joyce.

Bronze went to Thirsk White horse Swim Team with Shona Fletcher, Susan Harrison, Antonia Isaacson and Lucy Summer clocking in at 29:07.

Spencer Swim Team also took gold in 200-239 Years event.

Their team of Karen Bassett, Amanda Heath, Frances Bakar and Rebecca Pritchard completed the course quicker than those in the age group above them, setting at 28:16.

Quickest of them all though was Trafford Metro in the 120-159 Years age group.

They dashed round the course to finish in 26:28 with Molly James, Emma Willert, Emma Bartlett and Suzy Hill taking to the water for North West based club.

The mixed relay rounded out proceedings in Sheffield where Nottingham Leander came away with two gold medals.

Their 120-159 Years and 240-279 Years groups both took their respective titles back to the East Midlands.

The 120-159 group was swam by Alex Thurston, Benjamin Barsby, Kirsty Stabler and Sally Carter whilst the 240-279 swimmers were Andrew Shephard, Robert Steel, Susan Arrowsmith and Kiyoko Naish.

City of Lincoln finally took top spot with their 72-79 Years team. The group of Hannah Dowell, Tom Green, Henry Crust and Isabel Winter saw them upgrade their silvers to gold thanks to a strong swim from each of the athletes.

Tavistock’s 160-199 Years team also won gold whilst Tigersharks’ 200-239 Years team completed the gold medallists.

Tigersharks were represented by Steven Horner, Helen Godfrey, James Lake and Samantha Lake with Tavistocks earning gold through Nigel Masters, Stuart Gibbs, Sarah Lock and Rebecca Smith.

For all the results from the GoCardless Swim England Open Water National Masters Championships 2024, click here.

Images: Will Johnston Photography