Swim West Lothian team in Masters medal success

Sep 29 2011 West Lothian Courier

FOUR Swim West Lothian team-mates battled to medal glory at European Masters Championships in Ukraine.

Flying the Scottish flag while still kitted out in their striking orange team kit, Darren Marr, Gary McLean, Emma Ross and Laura Crawford joined team-mates from Fife, Inverness and newly adopted Carlisle to battle it out with the cream of masters swimming in Yalta.

Day One saw Crawford take a fantastic fourth place in the 200 individual medley. But not to be out done, team-mate Ross surprised herself and the crowd to take a bronze medal in the 800m freestyle moving up four places from her initial start position.

As the sun came out on Day Two, all four swimmers were in action in the open air pool – and they did not disappoint.

Ross continued the medal haul with another bronze in the 200m freestyle and Crawford took her second top-eight finish in the 50m breaststroke. McLean was next to pull on his speedos to finish a creditable 14th in an age group of more than 50 highly competitive swimmers, many of whom had previously been Olympic athletes.

Inveralmond High PE teacher Marr’s initial foray gave him a 10th-place finish in the 100m butterfly but this seemed to be the impetus he needed and shortly afterwards was back in the water winning bronze in the 50m backstroke.

The ladies were first up the following day again with Crawford continuing her steady form and moving up a place to go 6th in the 50m backstroke.

McLean had another strong performance in the 100 freestyle.

Ross took her third bronze of the week in the 400m freestyle.

Next up, Marr pipped into third position in the 200m backstroke only to be robbed of a medal for a technical infringement.

Day Four saw Marr put the disappointment of Thursday behind him as he secured his second medal of the championships with bronze in the 100m backstroke with McLean and Ross finishing just outside the medals.

Day Five left only the open-water event – a three kilometre race in the Black Sea.

Only Emma Ross of the four from West Lothian could be tempted.

She lined up to see if she could match or better her previous results of the week against her German and Dutch foe's in the pool.

Taking the race out fast for the first mile seemed to be working but she was unable to break Germany's Marit Bloomer and finished second lifting her first silver and 4th medal of the competition.

Team manager and competitor, Gary McLean said: “It was a fantastic if not exhausting experience.

“Although we were there representing our club first and country second we really all gelled as a team and it had a really good GB feel to it.

“The mantra of friendship through fitness and fun did really ring true and crossed the international divide as at one point we were cheering on swimmers from Holland (probably because of the team colours), Germany and France.

“I'd recommend it to everyone.

“The next one is in Holland so it's a bit more accessible.

“The only thing we have to do now is keep up the training.”