World record joy for Bloor

Crewe Chronicle – 5 Apr 2006

CREWE 'S Stuart Bloor is aiming for national glory tomorrow after smashing a world record.

The ace swimmer from Ridgway Street ripped up national, European and world records at the recent Cheshire Championships.

The 18 year old, who suffers from spina bifida and uses a wheelchair, won two gold medals, two silver and a bronze at the Danish Open.

Now he has set his sights on more glory at the British Championships in Sheffield tomorrow.

He said: 'I was over the moon with my performance in Denmark and to come back with so many medals again was fantastic.

'I was spurred on after watching the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, and I'm delighted to have smashed some records. Now I hope for more in the nationals on Thursday.'

In the two-day county championships at Macclesfield and Birkenhead, the 18-year-old clocked 2:51:43 in the 200m Back-stroke to take the world record by four seconds.

Stuart, a science student at South Cheshire College, broke European records in the 800m (12:31:00)and 1,500m (23:42:03) freestyle events, and a national best in the 100m breaststroke (1:29:39).

In Esbjerg, he scooped gold in the 50m and 100m backstroke, silver in the 400m freestyle and 100m breaststroke, and bronze in the 50m freestyle.

Some of Stuart's fellow Crewe Flyers also fared well at the county championships. Elliot Bloor qualified for the national champion-ships in the 200m freestyle, and took gold in the 50m breaststroke, while Christopher Alcock got silver and Austin Barton and James Mitchell shared bronze.

Gold’s went to Bethany Mayer and Charlotte Bradbury; silver medals were won by Rochelle Ollier, Michael Eastwood, Abigail Axon, Daniel Carragher and Colette Foster, while Rochelle Ollier, Bryony Carragher, Joseph Wood and Stephanie Eastwood took bronze.

Jordan Brooks, Sean Duffs and Charlotte Mears made an impressive start to their careers at county level.