The 24-strong English Schools swimming team to feature at the 2013 ISF World Schools Games in Brasilia in November was announced this week - and a quarter of the team come from Plymouth College.
Through the six athletes selected - Ruta Meilutyte, Hazal Sarikaya, Grace Vertigans, Jack Smith, Harry Ackland and Jack Burton - Plymouth College will add a multitude of Olympians, international and national medallists and national record holders to the English Schools' cause. Olympic Champion Ruta (Lithuania) and Olympian Hazal (Turkey) were eligible for selection because they attend an English school.
Ruta Meilutyte will compete in the 50m, 100m and 200m Breaststroke alongside the 50m and 100m Freestyle. Hazal Sarikaya will feature strongly in the 50m, 100m and 200m Backstroke, whilst European Junior medallist Grace Vertigans will take on the 50m and 100m Freestyle, 50m Backstroke and 100m Backstroke, as well as the 50m and 100m Butterfly.
Two British record holders who will feature for Great Britain in this summer's European Junior Championships are Harry Ackland and Jack Smith and the boys also find themselves selected for the World School Games. Ackland will take on the 50m, 100m and 200m Breaststroke, whilst Smith will feature in the 50m, 100m, 200m and 400m Freestyle. Jack Burton makes his international debut in the 50m and 200m Breaststroke.
The six swimmers are part of the world-renowned scholarship programme in partnership with Plymouth Leander. Two other swimmers from Plymouth Leander have also made the English team bringing the total representation from the city to eight.
The English team will be led by the school's Director of Swimming and Plymouth Leander Head Coach, Jon Rudd.
Jon said of leading the team into Brazil: "This is a fantastic opportunity for these athletes to race at international level in the country where they aspire to race in the next Olympic Games. I am so proud to have so many of my own athletes on the team and they bring with them a blend of both experience and bubbly naivety - both of which can be major strengths in international competition. It is also goes without saying that I feel very privileged to be selected as the Head Coach for this most prestigious event."
