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THE ALLEYNIAN 710
SWIMMING TRACEY PALMER
After the emotional high of becoming Bath Cup champions in 2020, and then the low of 2021 when the team discovered they would not be able to defend their title in what was for three team members their final year, 2022 could have been a rather average year. I should have known better: no year at Dulwich is average! We started with the reestablishment of our inter-schools fixtures list, welcoming back many old friends as well as embracing many new schools into our swimming calendar. The excitement of returning to racing was evident in all year groups, with over 100 swimmers representing the school, and many school records either challenged or broken in the first term alone. All three Dulwich teams qualified for the English Schools Finals, after achieving a top 20 place from over 130 schools nationwide. The standout results at the finals were two stunning silver medals from the Year 8 swimmers, George Henderson, Xavier Blackburn, Nathan Sawyer, Edward Henwood and Max Reglar. It’s safe to say that the future is looking fast! The Bath Cup is the second national event of the school year and incorporates schools from across Great Britain. Our team captain, Sam Ridgley, led our newly formed team
and was the sole remaining defending champion from 2020. Kamran Din and Christo Chilton joined Sam along with Andreas Kokkini to qualify in a sensational sixth place for the final. A tactical substitution for the final saw Tom Jerman swap in for Andreas, and with each boy swimming a personal best leg, the team achieved an incredible fourth place, missing out very narrowly on the bronze medal. These two events stand out as the main aspiration for all swimmers at Dulwich, but so much amazing swimming happens in and around these events. Third place was achieved in the Tonbridge Trophy team event with the U18s and U16s, and fourth place was achieved in the LISL grand final with the U13 and U12 combined team. The continued success and development across the Senior School are evident. However, the culture and the team spirit start with our youngest swimmers, in the Junior School. The improvement after such a difficult two years for these swimmers has been phenomenal, and I am delighted to report a win for the Junior School in the LISL B final. In addition, the Year 6 swimmers have qualified for both IAPS and ESSA national finals, both taking place at the end of the year.
The standout results at the finals were two stunning silver medals from the year 8 swimmers “
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