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PRESS RELEASE
21 April 2015
BICESTER BLUE FIN KIERAN BIRD CROWNED BRITISH JUNIOR CHAMPION
 Butterfly ace strikes GOLD and now ranked three in Europe
 Regional and county records smashed as his international career takes off
 Town’s first ever podium finisher at British Swimming Championships
Bicester Blue Fins swimmer Kieran Bird has returned from the British Swimming Championships held at
the impressive Aquatics Centre, sited at the heart of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, East
London.
The championships are the pinnacle of competitive swimming in the UK. They feature the country’s elite
swimmers with many household names competing this year including international stars Adam Peaty, Jazz
Carlin, Hannah Miley and Fran Halsall. They’re used as trials for the 2015 World Championships in Russia,
later this year, as well as the European Youth Olympic Festival.
2014 saw Bicester’s first qualifier for a single event in the championships in its 65 year history. In a sign
of the club’s progress, this year 15 year old national champion duo Kieran Bird and Tom Thornley both
qualified for multiple events. Unfortunately Thornley had to withdraw through injury.
Bird was in scintillating form. He became the British Boys Junior Champion in his signature event, the
200m Butterfly. His stunning time of 2:04.12 in the final with a two second margin was not only good
enough to clinch the GOLD medal, it was a South East regional age group record and the club believes it
now ranks him number three in Europe for this event.
He also made the podium in the 400m Freestyle, winning a fine BRONZE medal and recording a new
Oxfordshire & North Bucks county record for all ages of 4:00.62.
He qualified for two more finals, coming 5th in the 100m Butterfly in a Bicester club record time of 57.77,
and his 4:39.03 in the 400m Individual Medley was good enough for 6th place having set a new Bicester
age group record in the heat. He also competed in the 200m Freestyle, setting a club record time of
1:56.97.
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Commenting on his rising star, Bicester Blue Fins Head Coach Struan McNeil said: “Kieran’s having a
tremendous year. To qualify for the British Championships and be part of an event full of household
names is one thing, but to come away as the club’s first Junior Boys Champion is simply brilliant.
“He’s already been talent spotted by the national authorities and who knows where this will take his
career. As well as being on the Talent England development programme, he’s been invited to join a party
of only 20 English boys and girls to compete at the Energy International Meet in Italy next month, and we
also hope his achievements at these championships will secure selection for the European Youth Olympic
Festival in Tbilisi, Georgia in July.”
Kieran Bird in action
-Ends-
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For further information, please contact:
Stephen Wynne-Jones
Media Relations for Bicester Blue Fins Amateur Swimming Club
07814 398617
[email protected]
Notes to editors:
Bicester Blue Fins Amateur Swimming Club was established in 1950 and has been based at Bicester Leisure
Centre since 1971. The Club aims to deliver a comprehensive teaching and training programme to maximise
the potential of all swimmers and help them to achieve success at local, county, regional and national
levels. Programmes are designed by the club’s head coaching team and delivered by trained coaching /
teaching staff assisted by a team of volunteer helpers who have either been swimmers themselves or who
have children who are, or have been swimmers. Bicester Blue Fins is ‘SWIM 21’ accredited and affiliated to
the ASA South East Region and the Oxfordshire & North Buckinghamshire ASA
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