Swim duo hoping to realise their Olympic dreams

DEWSBURY’s Olympic hopefuls Matthew Johnson and Kate Hutchinson can book their places in the Great Britain swimming team for this summer’s games in London during the next week.
By The Newsroom
Published 2nd Mar 2012, 09:00 BST

Matthew, 16, from the City of Sheffield club, and Kate, who is at the University of Loughborough, will take part in the British Gas Swimming Championships at the London Aquatic Centre starting tomorrow (Saturday) and they double up as Great Britain’s Olympic trials.

Matthew has swept the board at junior level, including gold medals at the World Junior Championships last year, but in terms of senior competitions he is testing himself against far more experienced swimmers.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The chance to appear in his first Olympics could be just the spur for the ambitious swimmer, who lives in Thornhill and is a former Spen Valley Sports College student.

His Olympic bid begins in tomorrow’s first event of the championships, the 400m individual medley heats at 9am. On Monday he is in the heats of the 200m butterfly before on Wednesday he take part in the 200m individual medley heats and on Thursday the 1,500m freestyle.

Kate 21, a former Heckmondwike Grammar School student from Thornhill, is keen to build on her experiences at the Commonwealth Games in India where she represented England.

The former City of Leeds and Borough of Kirklees swimmer swims in the Women’s 200m individual medley heats on Monday. The following day she is in the 200m butterfly heats while on Wednesday Kate swims in the 200m breastroke heats.

n Follow the pair’s race to London 2012 at www.dewsburyreporter.co.uk www.mirfieldreporter .co.uk and www. spenboroughguardian.co.uk and in next week’s edition.

Related topics:LondonGreat BritainDewsbury