Report by Shirley Coop
The final session of the Island Championships saw Phillip Harrison and Tom Bielich battling for top spot in the men’s 200m freestyle, and in doing so both achieving the consideration time for next years’ Commonwealth Youth Games to be held on the Island.
Harrison, 16, was the victor in 1 min 56.68, just three hundredths of a second ahead of 15 year old Bielich, who had held the lead with 50m to go.
Their times were also inside the Island Games consideration time, and Bielich reduced his Junior Island Record by over a second.
Harrison was on top form all weekend taking seven of the men’s events held over the two days.
His time of 1 min 01.80 in the 100m individual medley was inside the Island Games time, and his 2:12.56 for 200m backstroke was just six hundredths outside.
His other victories came in the 50m and 400m freestyle, 50m backstroke, 100m breaststroke, but he had to settle for third place behind Bielich and Dane Harrop in the 100m butterfly.
There were more Island Games consideration times form the girls, with Charlotte Atkinson achieving two after coming so close in four events the previous weekend.
She was a clear winner in the 400m freestyle in 4:33.27, and finished 2nd to Heather Millar in the 200m, with both girls inside
the Games time – Millar with 2:09.97 and Atkinson 2:11.10.
Millar was also top of the podium in the 50m freestyle and 100m butterfly with times of 28.11 and 1:08.90 respectively.
Hannah Howitt produced a massive pb to take the 200m backstroke in 2:23.45, which takes her to within two seconds of the consideration time for the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games, and well inside the Island Games time.
Howitt also won the 50m backstroke in 32.62. Poppy Evans continued her good form in the breaststroke to take the 100m in 1:16.41, another Island Games time, and was just outside with her 1:09.64 victory in the 100m individual medley.
In the breaststroke, as in the previous week, the thirteen year old duo of Stephanie Brew and Laura Kinley were not far behind and were both within half a second of the Island Games time.
Ben Kebbell had to climb to the top of the podium no less than five times over the weekend, as he was unbeaten in the 11 and under 50m freestyle and backstroke and the 100m butterfly, breaststroke and individual medley.
In the corresponding girls' events, 10 year old Ciara Cassidy held off her older rivals to finish first in the 50m freestyle and the 100m butterfly and individual medley, with Amy Stoutt taking the 50m backstroke and Amy Kinley the 100m breaststroke.
Mark Copparelli was the most successful swimmer in the 12/13 years boys', with wins in the 50m freestyle and 100m individual medley to add to his three victories the weekend before, but finished second to James Hanford in the 50m backstroke and 100m butterfly over two close races.
Scoill Ree Gorree made it a clean sweep in the primary schools relays with wins in both the girls' and boys' medley following on from their double win the previous week.
The secondary schools medley relay wins were spread the length of the island, with Ramsey Grammar School taking the girls and Castle Rushen High School, the boys.
Douglas just held off Southern to take the men's club freestyle relay, whilst Ramseian had a more comfortable victory, also over Southern, in the ladies' event.
The final event of the championships saw Douglas just holding off a fast finishing Ramseain in the mixed freestyle relay.
