Twelve young marathon swimmers are ready to travel to Marseille for the European Junior Championships.
The three-day competition runs from 4 – 6 August and will see swimmers competing across three different distances.
The competition is run across three age groups with 14/15 year olds swimming 5km, 16/17 year olds competing a 7.5km course and 18/19 year olds will tackle the 10km race. Athletes will also compete in two team relays.
Hector Pardoe and Ioan Evans have experience of international competition having competed at the World Junior Championships. Pardoe won bronze in the 5km while Evans challenged for the medals in the 10km in Hoorn, Netherlands last summer.
Phoebe Griffiths also came home from the World Junior Championships with a bronze medal from the team relay.
Marathon Swimming Lead Bernie Dietzig said: “The European Championship is always a very tough competition but it will be a great opportunity for our young swimmers to compete against some of the best in the world.
“This competition is one of the only opportunities for athletes to compete in their individual age groups. It will be a sea swim in the harbour of Marseille which brings its own challenges but I think it will be a good learning experience for these athletes.
“Some of the team members have competed at the European Junior and World Junior Championships in the past and will be eager to improve on their previous results.”
The British team comprises:
George Barber - Grimsby Aquatics
Tiegan Child - Beckenham
Georgia Darwent – Newcastle Swim Team
Ioan Evans – City of Cardiff
Rose Foden - Northampton
Phoebe Griffiths – Ellesmere College
Max Jelfs - Hatfield
Maisie Macartney - Thanet
Hector Pardoe - Ellesmere College
Gordon Mason – Ellesmere College
Thomas Millburn - Cockermouth
Emilia Sansome – Wycombe District