Georgina powers to World Swimming champs silver medal

Teenager helps Team GB to silver medal spot

A teenage swimmer’s countless hours training in the pool were rewarded when she claimed a silver medal at the World Junior Swimming Championships.

Georgina Evans, the highly-regarded 17-year-old breaststroke swimmer from Hale flew back from the prestigious finals in Dubai with a silver medal after Team GB earned second spot in the 4 x 100m medley relay.

The City of Liverpool Club member, who over a five-year period has amassed a host of British junior swimming titles to her name, was a member of the squad that claimed the place on the podium.

The St Hilda’s School, Sefton Park, sixth-former also finished seventh in the final of the individual 100m breaststroke and reached the semi-final stage of the 50m competition.

Although it is a junior international championship, the standards remain incredibly high.

The Lithuanian Ruta Meilutyte, who famously won 100m breaststroke gold at the London Olympics, while attending the same school in Plymouth as diving star Tom Daley, once again took the honours.

Georgina, who finished fourth in this event at the senior British Championship and has a personal best of 1:08.50 from the British Youth Championships, may rightly look back on this season with some satisfaction.

In fact, judging by these timely performances, with the Commonwealth Games and European Championships coming up in 2014, she may be the next young Merseyside swimmer, following Fran Halsall and Michael Rock, to make a mark at international level.

The young champion, who leads a hectic lifestyle, to combine school, competing and training, was just back from a Team GB breaststroke training at Millfield School, when Junior XSport managed to catch up with her.

“The camp was physically demanding,” Georgina said.

“We were swimming 5000m (200 lengths of a 25m pool) twice a day, but it was interesting,” she said.

“All the GB top breast-strokers were there, for the four days, including Michael Jamieson.

“I only really went to the Junior Worlds for experience and I was delighted to get a medal with the relay squad and finish seventh in the 100m breaststroke. It was beyond expectations.

“I don’t really have a tactical plan when swimming the 100m – you just swim as fast as you can for two lengths.

“At the turn it was very close. Ruta, the winner, is the only girl ever to beat me at the national championships at this distance.

“I usually manage to take August away from swimming, but this year I had the Junior Worlds and it doesn’t look a though I will get my normal break.

“The new season is beginning soon and I will be taking part in quite a few competitions.

“My main aim is the trials for the Commonwealth Games, next year, where I think I will swim 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke races.

“If I am to go to Glasgow I will have to the qualifying time and finish in the top three at trials. It is going to be tough.”

Added Georgina: “My family is being very supportive along with my coach Mike Roberts.

“The school are also very helpful by granting me leave to attend competitions and training camps.”