British backstrokers lead the way at European Swimming Championships
With the Commonwealth Games only weeks away, it was tough timing for British swimmers to be competing at the European Swimming Championships in Budapest this month, where 24 SportsAid-supported athletes have been in action.
But the team has still pulled out some fantastic results. None less so than the world-beating British backstroke duo Gemma Spofforth - who was supported by SportsAid in 2005 - and Elizabeth Simmonds, who each took a gold and silver medal in the 100m and 200m events.
“This was another great day for the British team after our double victory in the 200 metres,” Gemma said after the 100m event on August 12. “It shows that we are in good shape for the upcoming Commonwealth Games.”
Of the 24 SportsAid-supported athletes at the championships, four have received awards this year: Thomas Allen, supported by Jaguar; Grace Reid, also supported by Jaguar; Sasha Matthews, supported by Lloyds TSB; and Jessica Sylvester, supported by the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS).
You can read the full list of SportsAid athletes competing in the championships on the events pages of this wesbite.
At 14, Grace Reid is already a fully-fledged member of the senior GB team and narrowly missed out on a medal in Budapest by taking fourth place in the women’s three metre springboard on August 14 with a score of 276.20.
She holds senior Scottish national titles and won a silver medal at the recent European Junior Championships. Her father, Allan Reid, said:
"Grace’s award will make a significant contribution to help her work towards her dream of making 2012. We can only watch in admiration as to the level of commitment, determination and sacrifice that this demands not just of Grace, but of all young athletes."
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SportsAid, previously known as SportsAid Foundation (SAF), was founded in 1976. Its principal function was to raise funds from the private sector to provide financial assistance to Britain's amateur sportsmen and women. The aim was to help them prepare for competitions against better-funded, overseas athletes.
