Hughes and Dyson on the podium at European Junior Open Water Championships

5 Aug 2019

The Czech village of Racice, north of country’s capital Prague, hosted the four day festival of swimming as Nathan Hughes secured his maiden European title over 10km.

A strong British team travelled to the LEN European Junior Open Water Swimming Championships hoping for medal success, with Hughes leading the way. The Hatfield based athlete produced a mature swim, featuring at the spearhead of the race throughout and breaking clear into clean water to claim gold by over a one second margin from his nearest rival. Teammate Hector Pardoe followed home in a solid seventh position, just dropping out of the medal positions over the final kilometre.

Ella Dyson of Wycombe District Swimming club had earlier claimed Britain’s first medal of the championships, taking silver in a nail biting finish; Dyson touched just one tenth of a second ahead of Blanke (GER), with the pair having practically gone stroke for stroke for the entire 5km distance.

The Championship schedule was rounded off on Sunday, with the British quartet of Sansome, Macartney, Hughes and Pardoe finishing sixth in the Mixed Relay, as Italy took gold.

British Swimming Marathon Lead, Bernie Dietzig, commented on the team’s performance:

“This weekend’s championships provided an invaluable stepping stone for our young open water swimmers, who conducted themselves incredibly well throughout. Nathan and Ella’s medal winning performances highlighted what we are capable of and hopefully they’ll now make the step up to senior success over the coming years.”

For full results please click here

Results

5km Women: SILVER - Ella Dyson

5km Men: 14th - Isac Doods

7.5km Women: 18th - Amelia Rood, DNS - Iona Macleod

7.5km Men: 24th - Jackson O’Rourke, 27th - Jevon Penny

10km Women: 16th - Maisie Macartney, 17th - Emilia Sansome

10km Men: GOLD – Nathan Hughes, 7th Hector Pardoe

Mixed Relay U19: 6th - Team Great Britain (Emilia Sansome, Maisie Macartney, Nathan Hughes, Hector Pardoe)

Ella Dyson Euro Junior Open Water
Ella Dyson celebrates silver in the 5km