Young Sutton swimmer shines at National Open Water Festival
Talented youngster Matthew Woodhall, of Sutton Swimming Club, clocked a personal-best (PB) time and finished a respectable fifth when competing at the Swim England National Open Water Festival.
Matthew, who qualified by winning the Midland Open Water Championships, competed aginst 37 other boys from all four corners of the UK in the 1500m race for his age group at Rother Valley Country Park, near Sheffield. But he knocked a stunning one minute, 42 seconds off his previous PB and delighted his proud coaches, Lee Bunker, from the Sutton club, and Pauline Gourley, from the Nottinghamshire Nova B county squad. Matthew has won the Nottinghamshire county age group title for the past four years, but open water swimming is a discipline that requires different skills to succeed.