The Ellesmere College Titans swimming team is celebrating unprecedented success with a raft of recent honours adding to a hugely impressive record, unrivalled by any other programme in the country in providing swimmers to represent their country.

Freya Anderson is leading the way as a regular face on the international scene with teammates racking up further top class performances to build on the many successes achieved since the Titans were formed 11 years ago.

Anderson, 18, won double gold in the recent European Short Course Swimming Championships, winning the 100m freestyle in a lifetime best time before breaking her own record to win the 200m freestyle.

She followed up with fourth place in the 400m freestyle and a silver medal in the 50m freestyle relay.

The Titans team of Evie Float, Hettie D’Ammassa, Katie Hale and Emily Farr competed at the English Schools Swimming Association team relay championships, winning gold in the medley and taking fourth place in the freestyle event.

Hector Pardoe won silver and youth gold in the men’s 1,500m freestyle at the Swim England National Winter Championships, and Lauren Wetherell achieved a West Midlands Short Course record in the women’s 1,500m freestyle at the Swim Wales Winter Championships.

Ellesmere College Titans have produced 18 international swimmers in the last five years with medals at the Commonwealth Youth Games, European Youth Olympics, European Junior Pool and Open Water, World Junior Pool and Open Water, Commonwealth Games, European Championships and World Championships.

The recent successes also include Titans director of swimming, Alan Bircher’s nomination to coach the Team GB swimming squad at next year’s Tokyo Olympics, and Ellesmere College being named in the five Best UK Schools for Future Olympians by Tatler Magazine – the only school outside the south of the country.

The Shropshire college is also an accredited World Academy of Sport (WAoS) – Athlete Friendly Education Centre (AFEC) – one of only 22 schools globally – which allows the college to be flexible with its timetabling around its elite athletes’ demanding training and competing schedules, and can offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) over three years (as well as two).

Alan said: “Ellesmere College Titans have an extremely proud and enviable record over the past 11 years – and it’s been an outstanding year for the team, building on our position as a leading programme. We have to give a special mention to Freya who starred at the recent Europeans and continues to make excellent progress at the highest level, following on from her impressive performance at the Commonwealth Games [in 2018].

“She is an exceptional talent and it is great to see all her hard work paying off.

“We continue to have ongoing success with many swimmers and no other programme in the country can match us when it comes to providing the number of swimmers on international teams.

“We also have at least 18 students making qualifying times for the Olympic trials and the chance of going all the way to Tokyo.

“It’s a very exciting time and I’m extremely proud of each and every member of the team.”

For more information go to ellesmerecollegetitans.co.uk