URN

University of Nottingham managed to get their first point for the 2011 Varsity series, as they were convincing winners against Trent, with the final score Uni 379 – 225 Trent.

Historically the event has favoured University of Nottingham, possessing some of the leading British talent in the event both national and across Europe. Competitors such as the Olympic finalist Jess Sylvester and team captain Katie Ambridge are examples of the strength in depth Nottingham has, with both swimmers competing in the European championship qualifiers only a week away.

Uni went off to a flying start, with both the men’s and women winning the 100 Individual medley and respectively coming third place too. This would be the common theme of the afternoon, with Trent unable to win a single race outright. The podiums of each race where dominated by Uni, especially the Men’s 100m breaststroke, women’s 50m butterfly and freestyle.

However, the highlight of the day for Trent was in the 100m backstroke where uni’s Matt smith tied with Diggins from Trent in the most exciting encounter of the afternoon. This event highlighted the improvement of Trends swimming team from previous years and should act as an encouragement for the future. Nonetheless, the Uni domination was still clear to all, as Uni swept the other events.

With the Swimming varsity event soon approaching, here are some of the rules and regulations for those new to the sport:

Swimming is an aquatic sport, in which participants compete to be the fastest over a given distance. The different events at this year’s varsity would be the 50 and 100 meters of each stroke, which are the breast, back and butterfly, the medley relay, 100 IM and freestyle relay.

The breaststroke is performed face down in the water, the arms move synchronously whilst the leg performs a frog kick. The butterfly swimming stroke is swum on the breast, with both arms moving simultaneously. The leg movement is known as the dolphin kick. The feet are pressed together to avoid loss of water-pressure. The feet are naturally pointing downwards, giving downwards thrust which thus moves up the feet and presses down the head. The back stroke is performed with the swimmer lying on its back, synchronising their arm and leg movements with kicks and semi circular arm pushes. The freestyle is where a competitor can use an unregulated swimming movement over a given length. Such strokes often involve the front crawl and side stroke.

The Nottingham University Swimming Club has over 100 members, both competitive and casual swimmers training in the university’s Olympic sized pool. Swimming varsity has only been going for the last three years and both years prior to this, Nottingham University have won the competition. This does not mean that the team this year have been sitting on their laurels; intensive training and many university level competitions have been keeping the swim team on a tip top condition.

The swim teams have been going from strength to strength, with the university team this year being on top form in national competitions as a team and with swimmers who have been at the Olympics and the Commonwealth games. The team has also ascended
in the ranks of the BUCS events, both in short course and long course where Nottingham came 5th overall. With Varsity being the last big event in the swimming schedule, Uni are approaching this competition relaxed but ready to take on the challenge and to gain a win in what has so far been a disappointing start to the 2011 competition for the teams in gold.

Will Uni win the Swimming varsity three years in a row?
Rhiannon May

The Nottingham University Swimming Club has over 100 members, both competitive and casual swimmers training in the university’s Olympic sized pool. Swimming varsity has only been going for the last three years and both years prior to this, Nottingham University have won the competition. This does not mean that the team this year have been sitting on their laurels; intensive training and many university level competitions have been keeping the swim team on a tip top condition.

The swim teams have been going from strength to strength, with the university team this year being on top form in national competitions as a team and with swimmers who have been at the Olympics and the Commonwealth games. The team has also ascended
in the ranks of the BUCS events, both in short course and long course where Nottingham came 5th overall. With Varsity being the last big event in the swimming schedule, Uni are approaching this competition relaxed but ready to take on the challenge and to gain a win in what has so far been a disappointing start to the 2011 competition for the teams in gold.

After URN Sport Team caught up with the Swimming team earlier in the week we had been convinced, by them, that Uni were to dominate Varsity in a similar manner to their display in the previous event. What was to come was kind of expected but was in all senses perfection in the pool from Uni!