Merseyside's swimming clubs celebrated a remarkable weekend of national success as their athletes brought home a combined 20 medals from two major championships. The haul comprised eight golds, seven silvers and five bronzes, spread across the Aquatics GB Next Gen Championships in Sheffield and the Swim England Open Water National Age Group Championships at Rother Valley.
Wirral Metro stars in Sheffield
At the Aquatics GB Next Gen Championships in Sheffield, Wirral Metro's Abbie Roscoe returned from a training trip to Germany to produce the standout performance of the meet. Roscoe swept to four gold medals and a silver, dominating the freestyle events to underline her growing reputation on the British swimming scene. The championships bring together the country's most promising young swimmers, and Roscoe proved herself among the very best.
She was not the only Wirral Metro swimmer to excel. Ava Halliwell posted personal bests in the 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m Freestyle, while Harper Aspinall added lifetime bests in the 400m and 1500m Freestyle. The club's strength in middle- and long-distance swimming was clear for all to see.
City of Liverpool's medal rush in Sheffield
City of Liverpool also enjoyed an outstanding week in Sheffield. Ethan Kelly, who had also been in Germany with Roscoe, captured gold in the 800m and 1500m Freestyle, then added a silver in the 400m Freestyle with the fastest time of his career. Kelly's ability to compete across multiple distances marks him out as a future senior prospect.
The medals continued flowing for the Liverpool club. Madison Rens rounded off her season with a silver in the 800m Freestyle and a bronze in the 1500m Freestyle. Thomas Rickels battled to a personal best and a silver in the 800m Freestyle, with Ollie Lambert also taking silver in the same event. Kerry Hennie earned bronze in both the 1500m and 400m Freestyle, setting a personal best in the longer race.
George Pearce delivered a breakthrough performance with a bronze in the 200m Breaststroke – one of three personal bests he recorded across the meet. Sophie Dowding capped a hard-working season with personal bests in the 800m and 1500m Freestyle, while Finlay Byrne set four new personal bests, demonstrating the depth of talent in the club.
Top-ten finishes show squad depth
Beyond the medal winners, several City of Liverpool swimmers reached top-ten finishes in the fiercely competitive freestyle events. Ethan Dwyer achieved four top-ten placings, and Dominic Workman added three, including a personal best in the heats of the 400m Freestyle. George Daintith, James Graham, Macy Barker and Matthew Warburton also all secured top-ten finishes, highlighting the club's impressive overall strength.
Open water champions at Rother Valley
At Rother Valley, City of Liverpool successfully defended their "Top Club" title at the Swim England Open Water National Age Group Championships 2026. The club's open water swimmers delivered a commanding team performance to keep the trophy in the city, according to the event officials.
Thomas Rickels added a gold medal in the 5k race to his indoor silver from Sheffield, while Albion Dobrushi took gold in the 3k event. Ethan Kelly earned a silver in the 7.5k, Ella Lambert finished with a silver in the 3k, and Kate Roberts secured a bronze in the 7.5k. The collective effort sealed the team title and provided a fitting end to a hugely successful period for the club.
Bright future for Merseyside swimming
The combined results underline the remarkable progress being made by Merseyside's swimming programmes. With athletes such as Roscoe and Kelly already gaining international experience through trips to Germany, and a host of personal bests being set across both competitions, the region is clearly producing some of the country's most promising young swimmers.
Next up, Kelly and Roscoe will head to Munich to compete at the European Junior Championships. Based on their performances this week, both swimmers will have every reason to be confident heading into that prestigious event.
