A combination of grit, resilience and talent saw Watford Swimming Club finish in an impressive third place in round two of the Arena League in St Albans, despite being up against larger teams.

The result followed a fourth-place finish in the first round in Luton, meaning the swimmers can look forward to the final round with confidence, knowing they can make waves in the league.

Head Coach James Cameron praised the team spirit and electrifying atmosphere around the Watford camp.

“As a repeat from round one, the support the kids showed to each other was outstanding,” he said. “We had horns, Hawaii flowers, pom-poms—the lot!

“A third place was amazing against larger teams with bigger membership pools, showing the incredible talent we have.

“The support in the gallery was also immense, adding a huge boost to the team’s energy.”

Leading the way for Watford in the 200m Individual Medley were Ben Taggart and Kate Hopper, both delivering solid performances that set the tone for the club.

Isla Caley followed up with an incredible display of endurance, clocking three outstanding back-to-back swims that highlighted her commitment and skill.

Summer Evason also impressed after stepping up an age group for this round in the relays.

Notable victories came from Max Walters and Constantine Callifas, who each claimed repeated first place in their respective events, adding crucial points to Watford’s tally.

The team also saw impressive debuts from Abby Lai, Ira Dokhe, and Cody Brigden, who stepped up admirably for their first appearances of the season, showing promising potential and adding depth to the squad.