14-Yr-Old Amelie Blocksidge Takes Down SCM 1500 Free British Junior Record From 1985

2023 SWIM ENGLAND NORTHWEST WINTER REGIONALS

  • Saturday, November 4th & Sunday, November 5th
  • Manchester Aquatics Center
  • SCM (25m)
  • Results

British freestyle ace Amelie Blocksidge may just be 14 years old but the teen is already on her way to becoming one of the nation’s premier distance performers.

The City of Salford made noise earlier this year by taking the senior national title in the 1500m free at the 2023 British Swimming Championships, on her 14th birthday no less. She followed up by earning silver in the same event at this year’s European Junior Championships in Serbia.

Now back on her home soil, Blocksidge continued her British Age and Junior Record damage while competing at the Swim England Northwest Winter Regionals this weekend.

Racing in the girls’ 16&U SCM 1500 free, Blocksidge crushed a new lifetime best of 15:56.79 to win the gold decisively. That result destroyed her own previous career-quickest outing of 16:20.28 logged at the 2022 Swim England Winter Championships.

It also took down a massive British Junior Record, one which has been on the books remarkably since 1985. Sarah Hardcastle held the previous record for girls’ 1500m free with the time of 16:06.68 she produced nearly 40 years ago.

Blocksidge’s new PB now renders her the #2 British performer in history, across all age groups. Only Rebecca Cooke‘s time of 15:51.74 from 2005 remains ahead of her, but most likely not for long.

Splits for Blocksidge’s 15:56.79 1500 free:

Additional Notes

  • 14-year-old Samuel Sutcliffe was a one-swimmer wrecking ball in the boys’ 16&U events. The Ramsbottom ace won the following events over just 2 days:
    • 50m fly – 26.16
    • 50m free – 23.95
    • 100m fly – 56.76
    • 50m back – 27.99
    • 200m free – 1:53.48
  • City of Manchester Aquatics’ Jamie Ingram was another multi-event dominator, with the 25-year-old nabbing golds across the following:
    • 100m free – 48.48
    • 50m fly – 24.05
    • 50m free – 22.38
    • 100m fly – 51.84
    • 200m free – 1:48.77

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Lisa Simpson
1 year ago

Amazing talent.

One to watch in 2028 Los Angeles if not sooner.

SHRKB8
1 year ago

Oh my this is very impressive. What a talent in the making.

Dee
1 year ago

Impressive, machine like (negative) splitting:

62.1
64.7
64.7
64.2
64.4
64.0
64.1
64.0
64.0
63.8
63.9
63.8
63.8
63.5
61.2

Interesting that the SCM NR is slower than the LCM NR too – Rarely see that in Europe.

Last edited 1 year ago by Dee
DK99
1 year ago

She’s going right to the top

About Retta Race

Former Masters swimmer and coach Loretta (Retta) thrives on a non-stop but productive schedule. Nowadays, that includes having earned her MBA while working full-time in IT while owning French 75 Boutique while also providing swimming insight for BBC.

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