Deaf swimmers light up Loughborough at National Championships

On Saturday 14 March, swimmers from across the country headed to Loughborough University for the National Deaf Swimming Championships, one of the most important dates in the Deaf Sports calendar.

Attracting youngsters from across the UK, the event was an opportunity for swimmers and their parents to enjoy the sporting excellence of the venue and the occasion. Supported brilliantly for the second year by Advanced Bionics, the National Championships are an important platform for deaf swimmers to compete with other swimmers on an equal footing.

Daniel Battelle from Advanced Bionics talked about why supporting the event is important, he said:

'At Advanced Bionics we believe that these youngsters deserve our support. We are constantly developing equipment that allow deaf youngsters to wear their cochlear implants in the water whilst training, in some cases this being the only way they can access the same technical coaching that other swimmers enjoy. We have an ambition to ensure deaf youngsters can take part fully in a hearing world, so being here is important to us.'

It was a busy day at the Championships with races coming thick and fast, meaning competitors had little time between races to recover. Throughout the day 18 age group records were broken by eight different swimmers. Three swimmers, Evie Gallen, Emily Noden and Jack McCormish also swam superbly, breaking seven of their own national records.

Commenting on the importance of the National Deaf Swimming Championships, World Record Holder Danielle Joyce said:

'The Deaf Championships is a fantastic weekend. It's a chance to meet up with all the club and also important for the young swimmers and stars of the future to see the senior members of the team compete.'

For a full report on the National Deaf Swimming Championships including results and records, click here.

UK Deaf Sport is the National Disability Sports Organisation for deaf and hard of hearing people. They provide advice and support to enable more deaf prople to participate and reach their full potential in sport. For more information visit the UK Deaf Sport website.