Belmont Grosvenor pupils qualify for national biathlon event

5 February 2014

Three pupils from independent prep school Belmont Grosvenor have qualified for The British Schools Modern Biathlon Championships to be held in London in April.

The three, Archie Palmer, Ruby Johnson and Jessica Jones, will be competing at the Olympic Aquatics Centre over the weekend of April 5 and 6.

As well as swimming one length of the 50-metre Olympic Pool – this is the first event to be held at the pool since the 2012 Olympic Games – the trio will then complete an 800-mere run on the concourse outside the pool.

The three pupils have qualified for the national event, organised by Pentathlon-GB, following their performance in a qualifying competition held at Queen Margaret’s School in York.

Both the Under 10 and the Under 11 girls’ teams from Belmont Grosvenor School, based at Swarcliffe Hall, Birstwith, took the winners’ trophies in the Yorkshire event.

Two of the girls’ team members, Ruby and Jessica, posted times within the national qualifying criteria, along with boys’ team member Archie.

When they travel to London, the trio will be competing against the top 130 children from across the UK.

Nick Wield, swimming co-ordinator at the ‘outstanding’ co-educational prep school said the trio had done extremely well to qualify.

Nick Weld said: Thi s is a great achievement for the three of them and I am sure they will do themselves, and Belmont Grosvenor School, proud when they travel to London in April.

This is the first event to take place at the Olympic Aquatic Centre since the Olympic Games and will be an incredible experience for Ruby, Archie and Jessica to swim in the same pool as the 2012 Olympians and Para-Olympians.

Belmont Grosvenor School, along with its Magic Tree Nursery, caters for children from three months to 11 years. Set in 20 acres of grounds just three miles from Harrogate, ISI inspectors rated the school ‘outstanding’.

Main photograph: from left, Jessica Jones, Ruby Johnson and Archie Palmer who have all qualified for the British Schools Modern Biathlon Championships.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Go toTop