Grantham swimmer selected to represent Great Britain for World Championships

Nova Centurion celebrates record-breaking team effort at British Championships

New British champion Freya Colbert was the stand-out Nova Centurion swimmer in a record-breaking team effort at the British Championships.

The Grantham teenager, who claimed gold in the 400IM and won silver and bronze medals during the event, was one of 29 swimmers who qualified and 23 who represented Nottinghamshire’s performance swimming club at the week-long event at Ponds Forge in Sheffield in April.

Ten Nova swimmers reached finals at the prestigious British trials, which serves as a qualifying meet for this summer’s World and European Championships and Commonwealth Games.

Eighteen-year-old Freya, who has been on British Swimming’s World Class Podium Potential Programme since she was 15, is now eligible for Commonwealth Games selection and has already been announced in the squad for June’s World Championships in Budapest alongside Olympic superstars such as Adam Peaty, Molly Renshaw and Duncan Scott.

Two other Nova swimmers – Livia Kingsland and Iona Colbert, Freya’s younger sister, were crowned Junior Champions in the 1500m free and 100m back respectively and have now been selected to compete at the European Junior Championships in Bucharest, Romania in July.

“It was an amazing week for our club with some incredible swims across the board,” said Nova head coach and director of swimming Nathan Hilton.

“It was a fitting reward for a year of hard work by the swimmers and coaching team to see so many PBs, finalists and medallists.

“Swimmers have endured two years of disruption and pool closures because of Covid which has been extremely challenging, but Nova swimmers have showed their resilience and come back fighting and we’re now seeing the rewards.

“Freya’s achievements caught the eye against some world-class swimmers, but she was far from alone in exceeding expectations.

“I’m so proud of all of them and the wonderful coaches, base clubs, parents, support staff and volunteers we have here in Nottinghamshire. It really has been a team effort with everyone contributing in their own way.”

Colbert, who is about to sit A-Levels at Kesteven and Grantham Girls School in Grantham, was not only crowned British Champion in the 400IM, she also claimed a silver medal in the 400m freestyle and bronze in the 200m freestyle.