30 Jun 2025

Swimmers and parents were up before dawn at 4 a.m. on Thursday 19 June, boarding the coach that would ferry our 28-strong junior squad (ages 11-14) from Winchester across the channel and on to Germany. After a long journey, and a lot of stop, the team shook off the cobwebs with a whistle-stop walking tour of Stuttgart’s main sights, a team lunch in the Markthalle, lane time in the competition pool, and a late-afternoon wander around the iconic Mercedes-Benz Museum.

The scene was set – and so were the swimmers.

Over the weekend that followed (21–22 June) the 49th Stuttgart International Swimming Competition lived up to its reputation for fast racing and some furnace-like heat with temperatures peaking at 34°C. Facing clubs from France, Austria, Nigeria and beyond, our juniors contested more than 220 individual swims plus relays, each athlete tackling at least eight races - and successfully finishing third in the prestigious Nachwuchs-Cup team standings with 916 points, just behind German powerhouses SV Region Stuttgart and SV 1909 Grimma

Our swimmers delivered an outstanding performance at the meet, with Iola Bellinger leading the charge. Iola was crowned Top Swimmer, amassing the highest total FINA points across her four events: the 200m Breaststroke, 100m Breaststroke, 200m Individual Medley, and 100m Butterfly. Her dominance was further cemented by setting a new meet record in the U15 200m Breaststroke, earning her the Best Swim accolade, completing her remarkable clean sweep by also clinching gold medals in the 50m and 100m Breaststroke.

Relay teams also shone brightly. The Girls U13 4x50m Medley Relay team, comprised of Bella Knight, Amelia Webb, Emily Bourn, and Sophie Read, delivered an exceptional performance, not only breaking the meet record but also securing the gold medal with a time of 2:16.00. They continued their success by earning a silver medal in the 4x50m Freestyle Relay. The Boys U13 team, consisting of Maxim Smith, Owen Robinson, Jacob Wheeler, and Arthur Chin O'Neil, also showcased their prowess, taking home bronze in the 4x50m Medley Relay and silver in the 4x50m Freestyle Relay.

Individual achievements were equally impressive. At just 13 years old, Bella Knight demonstrated her exceptional speed in the Ladies 50m Butterfly, recording an outstanding time of 29.97. This remarkable swim not only made her the fastest female in the event but also ranks her 3rd in Great Britain for her age group. The combined achievements of Iola and Bella, both now holding top 3 ranked British times in their respective age groups, are a testament to the talent within our Age Group Performance Squad.

The meet also saw a clean sweep in the boys 200m Butterfly event, with victories for Finn Guberg in the 12-year age group, Maxim Smith in the 13-year age group, and Kieson Kei in the 14-year age group, who also brought home other gold medals.

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Swim Team, Stuttgart 2025, International Competition, Team Spirit