Star pays final visit to old pool (From Redditch Advertiser)

Star pays final visit to old pool

5:18pm Wednesday 8th February 2012 in Sport

FORMER Great Britain star Jamie Salter helped Redditch Swimming Club say a fond farewell to their Hewell Road home.

The double Olympian, who set out on his path to stardom at Redditch, took part in one of the final training sessions at the baths, which has been the club’s home for 110 years.

It was a fitting way for the club to say goodbye before they move into the brand new 25-metre pool at Abbey Stadium.

The Hewell Road pool and Redditch SC has produced many county, Midland, national and international swimmers, the most famous being Salter.

After hearing the old pool was to close, he contacted Redditch head coach Chris Britt to ask if he could attend one last training session with the club’s current crop.

“We had an enquiry from Jamie’s mom, who still lives in Redditch, that Jamie would like to come along and say goodbye to Hewell Road,” said Brit.

“It was quite emotional, the club has always been associated with Hewell Road.

“To have a two-time Olympian train with them was an amazing experience for our swimmers.”

He started his career at the club and trained for several years at Hewell Road, before he caught the eye and competed for City of Birmingham, City of Edinburgh, England and finally Great Britain.

Salter competed in three Commonwealth Games (1994, 1998 and 2002), four World Championships (1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001) and two Olympic games (1996 and 2000).

In 2000, he swam in the finals of individual freestyle events at both the World Championships and Olympic Games, where he finished sixth in the 200 metres freestyle final behind the likes of Ian Thorpe and Peter van den Hoogenband.

He is also a former British record holder at both 200m and 400m freestyle and was also part of a very successful British 4x200m freestyle relay team that won no fewer than nine medals at European, Commonwealth and World Championships, including gold at the 1997 European Championship.

The quartet also broke the British record on numerous occasions and set a new European standard at the 2000 World Short Course Championships.

Salter is now heavily involved in swimming, working as a project manager for British Swimming’s talent directorate.

Redditch are now settling into a new state-of-the-art home at Abbey Stadium, a six-lane pool which compares well with the best pools in Worcestershire.

It will allow the club to host galas, instead of relying on venues in Bromsgrove and Droitwich. Their first is a junior gala on Saturday, April 21. The new pool will also host an inter-county tournament in June.

Any keen young swimmers can come along to the new pool at the Abbey Stadium. For more information or a free trial, contact Britt on 01527 853257 or e-mail coach@redditchswim.org.uk.

PICTURE: Fond farewell: Double Olympian Jamie Salter (middle) and Redditch Swimming Club captains captains Paul Wilkes and Laura Cranshaw said goodbye to the club’s Hewell Road home.