One weekend. Three major events. Swimmers, athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers and clubs representing the North West.
What a weekend it has been for Swim England North West!
From celebrating the people who make our sport so special, to competing on the regional and national stage, 3rd – 4th October was a fantastic showcase of the strength, talent and commitment within North West aquatics.
Saturday evening saw the Swim England North West Regional Awards 2026 take place at Leigh Sports Village.
It was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the athletes, clubs, coaches, teachers, volunteers and technical officials who give so much to aquatics across our region. With awards recognising achievements across all of our disciplines the evening was a reminder of just how much talent and dedication exists across the North West. We welcomed Olympic medallists Anna Hopkin and Luke Greenbank, both proud representatives of the North West, who helped present the awards alongside Regional President Bob Bolton.
Congratulations to everyone who was nominated, shortlisted and recognised and, most importantly, thank you to everyone across our clubs who continues to make aquatics thrive.
More information about our awards and the winners will be coming soon….
While the celebrations were taking place in Leigh, North West athletes were also preparing to represent their region at the Swim England North East and Swim England North West Para Championships in Harrogate on Sunday.
The championships provided an important opportunity for para swimmers from across the two regions to get classified and compete with their peers.
A huge well done to all the North West swimmers, coaches, officials, volunteers and families who travelled to Harrogate and contributed to another important day for para-swimming.
Find out more about the Swim England North East & North West Para Championships
If that wasn’t enough, Sunday also saw the Swim England National County Team Championships take place at Ponds Forge International Sports Centre in Sheffield.
More than 30 county teams came together for an afternoon racing, with swimmers battling for every point in individual and relay events. The North West was strongly represented, with Lancashire and Cheshire competing in Division 1, while Cumbria competed in Division 2. There was plenty of North West club representation within those county teams, with swimmers coming together from clubs across the region to race for county pride.
Congratulations to every swimmer selected to represent their county being part of a county team is a fantastic achievement and something to be proud of.
Lancashire finished 12th in Division 1 with 312.5 points, while Cheshire finished 20th with 179.5 points. Cumbria finished 16th in Division 2 with 242 points.
Read the Division 1 results and standings
Read the Division 2 results and standings
From the volunteers giving up their time, coaches supporting athletes, officials ensuring competitions run safely and fairly, families travelling the country, and swimmers stepping onto the blocks every single person plays a part. That is what makes our region so special. We are building strong clubs, developing coaches and officials, supporting para-swimming and creating opportunities for people to participate in aquatics at every level.
So, to everyone who represented a North West club, county or the region this weekend:
What a weekend for North West aquatics. 💙
