RUGBY Swimming Club’s artistic swimmers made a sensational start to the 2026 season after winning 11 gold medals at the Regional Age Groups event.
More than 60 swimmers represented the club across 13 of the 18 category events at the Walsall Gala Baths.
Rugby won 15 medals overall including 11 gold, three silver and one bronze medal competing against teams from Walsall, Rykneld, Birmingham, Bramcote and Nottingham.
The club’s first medal came in the 12-and-under competition as Alice Danielson won bronze in the technical figure competition.
In the youth event, Frankie Klym and Victoria Sharashkina won gold and silver respectively.
Rugby’s medal rush continued in the combination events.
The 12-and-under Division One team of Eliza Danila, Mila Colledge, Florie Hughes, Erin Bloomfield, Olivia Reid, Darcie Gallagher, Alice Payne, Ella Martin, Elizabeth Silk and Ema Kiac performed to Jive Bunny.
The team had to perform twice due to a technical issue with the music but rose to the challenge to win gold.
Rugby’s 12-and-under Division Two team of Emily Secher, Lily Bartholomew, Payton Gaskin, Jessie Slater, Esme Ravenhall, Elsa Gaskin, Katerina Myronova and Maisie Austin-Robertsthen won silver behind Birmingham with an upbeat routine.
In the 13 to 15-year-old age group, Rugby’s Division Two ‘Beetlejuice’ team took gold with a bold performance.
The team of Charlotte Wilkins, Catherine Yu, Mellinda Bogdanova, Aaron Lee, Sophie Croft, Ruby Shepherd, Isobelle Watkins, Amelie Jeary, Darcey Townsend and Caitlin-Rose Smith (reserve) stood on top of the podium.
Rugby’s ‘Gladiators’ team of Mabel Chapman, Kara Duckett, Saranne Black, Sophie Henry, Daisy Clark, Ruth Ho, Beatrice Banks, Alice Pavlova, Jemima Parkinson and Isabella Franks dominated the 15-plus Division Two category.
The swimmers channeled the fighting spirit of the 90s TV show to win another gold for Rugby.
And Rugby’s 13 to 18-year-old Division One ‘Team Six’ squad of Anika Reddy, Katie Green, Daniel Rodrigues, Esther Tovey-Keane, Holly Biddulph, Amelia Storr, Elise Kelly, Izzy Rycroft, Sophia Myronova and Seren Humphry also won gold.
The team swam to music from Six the musical and ended the combination team events in style with a confident performance.
In the youth solo category, Sharashkina and Keva Ennis won gold and silver respectively while Izzy Maglione finished just outside the medals in the 12-and-under event.
In the duets, sisters Alice and Florence Danielson took gold in the 12-and-under category while Lee and Christina Kapiris won gold in the youth mixed duet and Lola Huett and Klym stormed to gold in the youth duet.
And Rugby also won gold medals in the 12-and-under and youth free team categories.
Swimming to Jump, the 12-and-under squad of Secher, A Danielson, F Danielson, Myronova, E Gaskin, Maglione, Slater, Austin-Roberts and Bartholomew (reserve) confidently took the gold medal.
And the youth team of Klym, Ennis, Sharashkina, Jeary, Lee, Huett and Kapiris showcased a new routine to seal the club’s 11th gold medal of the competition.
Anyone of any age interested in trying artistic swimming should contact Rugby’s head coach Hannah Secher at: [email protected] or visit: www.rugbysynchro.co.uk
