MOUNT Kelly swimming ‘splashed it’ this summer, bringing home 91 medals (34 gold, 39 silver and 18 bronze) and demonstrated yet again that they are among the top of UK swimming colleges, with some epic performances and swimming success, writes Guy Boswell.

The performance of now former Mount Kelly Head Boy Matthew Ward impressed the most as he became the most successful Team Scotland athlete in Commonwealth Youth Games history. He won four gold and three silver medals and is the first Team Scotland athlete to win more than five medals at a single Youth Games.

“It’s like a dream come true”, said Matthew. “It’s not easy, it’s not simple, but it makes the training worth it. I didn’t look at the times, I was just going for it and seeing what I could do, so I’m really proud.”

The highlight of the season has seen Mount Kelly swimming athletes bringing home an impressive haul of 46 medals in the 2023 British Summer Championships this July, which included competing in 91 finals to secure 17 gold, 20 silver and nine bronze medals.

Splashing other clubs clear out of the water, Mount Kelly’s 55 athletes well and truly swept the board with their podium success across individual and relay events and record honours including five open, all six senior relays, 26 age group and two out of the six junior relay events.

The annual British Summer Championship at the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre 50-metre pool in Sheffield aims to increase and support junior talent on the journey to senior medal-winning performance. And this summer saw Mount Kelly’s most successful ever year at this national event.

Mount Kelly’s other swimming successes this season, includes Emily Forwood who took the title of South West Open Water Swimming of the Year, following her impressive racing last summer.

Five Mount Kelly swimmers Vadim Bosc, Blythe Kinsman, Matthew Ward, Moritz Baumgartner and Erin Little represented GB and Austria in the European Junior Championships in Belgrade, Serbia this July. They brought home two silver medals, four bronze medals, broke two British records and five open Mount Kelly records.

Brydan Byrne, representing Ireland, reached the final of the European Youth Olympic Festival in Maribor, Slovenia.