Jason notches up record times
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A THURSO swimmer bidding for Paralympic qualification notched up record times and personal bests at the first of two trials last week.
Eighteen-year-old Jason Ridgley travelled to London for the British Gas National Championships held in the aquatic centre at the Olympic park.
And the swimmer, who has battled back to health following a serious spinal problem, is pleased with how he performed.
Competing in his first national championships as a disabled athlete, Jason swam in four events. The first, on Sunday, March 4, was the 100m backstroke in which he swam a personal best of 1.08.16 mins – a Scottish record (subject to verification) and a placing of second in his disability class and 13th overall in the heats based on the British Disability Points system.
On the Monday he competed against fellow S10 athlete, British record holder and multi-Paralympian Graham Edmunds in the 50m freestyle. Jason produced a strong swim setting a new personal best of 27.63s and, subject to verification, a new Scottish record. He did not make the final, finishing fourth in the S10 class and 21st overall in the heats.
Jason’s third swim was in the 100m freestyle. In a well-paced race he produced his third personal best of the championships in 1.01.31, placing him seventh in the S10 class in the heats and 27th overall.
The 100m breaststroke, on the Friday, was Jason’s fourth and final swim. In an extremely competitive heat he led at the 50m turn only to tire in the latter stages of the race, finishing in a time of 1.20.31 – just outside his own personal best – and coming fourth in the SB9 class and 18th overall in the heats.
Commenting on the experience, Jason said: "It has been an amazing week, the Olympic aquatic centre is a fabulous place to swim.
"Overall I am quite happy with my performances and I am looking forward to competing in the second Paralympic trials in Sheffield at the beginning of April.
"I cannot thank enough all my sponsors who helped make this possible."
Jason’s participation in the championships has been assisted by sponsorship and funding from the Robertson Trust, the Jeremy Wilson Charitable Trust, the Caithness branch of the coastguards, the Rotary Club of Thurso, Rolls-Royce and 2nd Thurso Scout Group.
