THIS year’s Essex County Swimming Championships proved to be one of the most successful that Braintree and Bocking Swimming Club have had.

The club sent more than 50 swimmers to the 2018 county championships with amazing results that delighted head coach Erica Johnson.

She said: “I have been so overwhelmed with the amazing swims and achievements of all of our swimmers at this years’ counties.

“They have been amazing, with untold finalists, medallist, regional qualifiers, Essex best times, club records and untold amount of personal bests.

“It just shows how hard working we all are as swimmers, coaches, committee and of course parents.

“All our hard work has paid off.”

The first weekend of the Essex championships kicked off at the Basildon Sporting Village with Braintree and Bocking coming home with three individual medallists, 15 finalists and both the girls and boys relay teams taking fifth place in the county.

The second weekend was held at the London Olympic Aquatic Centre and did not disappoint either, with Braintree coming home with six individual medallists and 28 finalists.

It was back to Basildon for the final weekend of this gruelling championship and an exciting finish saw Braintree have another five individual medallists and eight finalists plus a sixth place for the girls’ relay team and seventh for the boys.

Braintree gold medals were proudly shown off by Charlie Boden for his 100 metre and 200m backstroke and 100m butterfly, but not leaving it there, he claimed best essex times in both his 100m backstroke and butterfly swims.

Also bringing home gold from London was Harmonie Fry Oliff in her 50m backstroke.

Silver medals went to Boden in his 200m individual medley swim and 200m butterfly, Samuel Rennie in the 50m breaststroke, Charles Rennie in the 50m breaststroke and Sophie Clerkin claimed four silvers for her 50m 100m and 200m freestyle swims and her 100m backstroke.

Thomas Underdown brought home his first regional time with his 100m breaststroke and Fry Oliff broke the club record with her 100m backstroke swim.

Bronze medallists were Collin Okusage and Sophie Clerkin for their 50m backstrokes, plus the club’s nine/ten years girls’ relay team of Mia Macklin, Francesca Baker, Sienna Bishop and Hollie Heighes.

Johnson added: “Thank you to all who help us all year round allowing us to have one of the most successful counties I have been to.”

There were many other Braintree and Bocking swimmers who achieved so much with some excellent personal bests and, in some cases, just missing out on the podium or the finals.