The new season has begun with real momentum — and our swimmers have wasted no time setting the standard. Each month, we highlight individuals who bring the right blend of effort, attitude, consistency, and skill to every session. Our Top Swimmer awards recognise those who don’t just perform well in the pool, but who train the right way: • they embrace feedback • they chase improvement • they show discipline and focus • they support their lane

The season closes with Basingstoke Bluefins swimmers having delivered an extraordinary year, with 169 club records set across the programme. Twenty-three swimmers contributed to that total — up from nineteen the previous year — reflecting growing depth and a wider distribution of performance. Records reflected a mix of expected progression and clear step-changes, with first-time club records from Ella, Eloise, Isabel, and Olek illustrating the range of contributors within th

There are three ingredients you need to be a great swimmer: water, skill, and a pace clock. You’ll find one at the end of every Bluefins pool — the large white clock with a half-red, half-black hand that never stops. It’s more than just a timer. It’s the heartbeat of the training session. Swimmers and coaches use the pace clock to control when to start, measure how fast each repeat is swum, and manage recovery between efforts. It’s what turns lengths into structured, measur

Understanding progress in a sport that feels different Every swimmer begins with a dream — from learning new skills to qualifying for Counties, breaking a time barrier, or one day reaching Nationals. But a dream on its own isn’t enough. To make it real, you need structure, direction, and a plan. That’s why we set goals.

County Development is the first step on the County Pathway, where swimmers aged 9–14 learn to handle tougher sessions, race more often, and measure themselves against County standards.