Seventeen swimmers from the Colchester Phoenix ASC travelled to the Netherlands to compete in the 2008 Double Dutch Open Swimming event. The event took place in Deventer over the weekend of the 18th – 20th January.
The Double Dutch, which is held bi-annually, attracts both disabled and non-disabled swimmers from all over Europe and is unique in that it is the only Open European Swimming event which integrates both disabled and non-disabled swimmers to compete alongside each other on an equal par.
As in other years, the level of competition this year was extremely high with swimmers from Russia, Belgium, Germany, Slovakia, Serbia, the Netherlands and the UK fighting for medal positions.
However, the Phoenix Squad produced a magnificent haul of medals, with a total of 23 gold, 10 silver and 8 bronze medal's between them.
Youngest Phoenix Squad Member and indeed youngest competitor at the event, 10 year old Oliver Shergold (S10 SB9 SM10 swimming categories) had an excellent meet by competing in seven events to bring home four gold medals from the 400m Freestyle, 100m Breaststroke, 100m Backstroke and 50m Freestyle events. Oliver also competed in the Phoenix B team 4 x 50m Freestyle Relay event with fellow teammates Kristopher Cottee (S7), Liam Cooke (S8) and Stuart Mitchell (S14) which came sixth. Fellow teammate and first time 'Double Ducther' 12 year old Liam Cooke (S8 SB7 SM8) also had a successful meet by achieving silver medal position in the 400m Freestyle event and bronze in the 50m Freestyle event.
Other Phoenix swimmers attending the meet were:Team Captain Laura Bellars (S9 SB9 SM9), Kristina Hann (S8 SB8 SM8), Natalia Sanchez-Jinks (S7SB6 SM7), Jodie Fleming (S6 SB7 SM6), Darren Swash (S9 SB9 SM9), Kristopher Cottee S7 SB6 SM7), Gareth Cottee (S6 SB5 SM6), Jay Lynch (S8 SB7 SM8), Stuart Mitchell (S14 SB14 SM14), Craig Moate (S14 SB14 SM14), Tom Cole (S14 SB14 SM14), Mark Holmes (S14 SB14 SM14), James Argent (S14 SB14 SM14) and Daniel England (Able Bodied Swimmer) who competed in a total of 99 events throughout the weekend, all achieving excellent medal positions and personal best times.
Not just happy with achieving medal positions in their individual events, England, Argent, Swash and Moate went on to win sliver in the Phoenix Male A Team 4 x 50m Freestyle Team Relay event to hit home at 02.06.06. In the Phoenix Female 4 x 50m Freestyle Team Relay event Bellars, Hann, Sanchez-Jinks and Flemming fought hard to take 6th place in a time of 03.49.78.
Team Captain, Laura Bellars said. ‘All our swimmers had an excellent meet, all achieving personal goals: personal best times and many first, second and third place positions’. She went on to say. ‘Having such a well organised and high level, but friendly European event where club level disabled and non-disabled swimmers can compete along side International swimmers from many countries within Europe on equal teams does so much to boost the swimmers moral. The DDO opens doors for many swimmers and gives them the opportunity to reach goals for which they have been training so hard for. Now, with the London 2012 Paralympics just four years away all our up and coming swimmers, not only at the elite level but also at club level need all the competition they can get or can afford to travel too, be it in the UK or overseas. The DDO has in the past opened doors for gold medal winning Paralympic swimmers and I am sure it will do it again’.
