Milestone weekend for Laois swimming club at Leinster championships

Laois Marlins Swim Club enjoyed a landmark weekend at the Leinster Long Course Open, recording historic relay successes and a host of strong individual performances across the competition.

The meet marked a significant milestone for the club on day one, as Laois Marlins claimed their first-ever relay medal at Leinster level. The Mixed 400m Medley Relay team of Alex, Amy, Ethan and Yifei delivered an outstanding swim to secure a silver medal, setting the tone for a memorable weekend.

Relay success continued on the final day of competition, with the club adding two more medals to their tally. The Open 400m Freestyle Relay team of Alex, Ewan, Isaac and Kyle captured gold with a dominant performance, while the Female 400m Freestyle Relay quartet of Aoibheann, Louise, Sarah and Yifei earned silver to round off an excellent team effort.

Individually, the weekend also proved highly productive for the Laois swimming club. A total of 34 swimmers qualified to compete at the meet, with many already achieving early qualification times for upcoming Regionals, the McCullagh and Nationals. Numerous personal bests were recorded across the squad, underlining the depth of progress being made within the club.

Top-10 finishes were achieved by Alex, Amy, Daniel, Emily, Ewan, Kyle, Lena, Louise, Sarah and Siofra. At the same time, Yifei enjoyed a particularly successful meet, collecting four silver medals and one bronze in individual events.

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The club extended its thanks to coach Padraic, the team managers and all parents who supported the meet by fulfilling official duties throughout the weekend. Special recognition was given to Anna Hayes, who volunteered as a referee for four sessions, significantly easing the officiating demands on parents and providing invaluable support to the swimmers.

Laois Marlins Swim Club also expressed appreciation to Leinster Swimming and the National Aquatic Centre for hosting and organising a highly successful Leinster Long Course Open.