EAST Lothian Swim Team (ELST) athletes rounded off 2025 with an impressive display at both the Scottish National Short Course Championships and National League Finals. In total, 14 ELST athletes aged 14-17 competed in the Scottish National Championships, which were held in Edinburgh between December 12 and 14, and attracted the best swimmers from across Scotland. Zara Krawiec had a meet to remember as she emerged as Scottish junior champion in the 100m freestyle and 200m backstroke. Krawiec also competed with her Scottish Swimming team-mates in the 4x50m freestyle relay, where they smashed the Scottish junior record. To round a perfect weekend off, her brother, ELST-alumnus Stefan Krawiec, became Scottish open champion in the 100m freestyle.
The Scottish National League Finals were held a week later on December 20 in Glenrothes. Following heats in the autumn, the East Lothian team had already qualified as one of the top eight swim teams in the country to contest the A-final. The ELST team finished an excellent sixth in Division A, just outside the top five, with City of Glasgow crowned champions. Jamie Ward, ELST head coach, was delighted to end this year on such a high. He said: “The Scottish National Short Course and the National League Finals are the first chance to test ourselves against the country’s finest each year. “The National League Finals in particular is a chance to showcase the strength of our team, with each swimmer competing for points, not individual medals. “The main competitive stretch of our season still lies ahead and our performance over the last few weeks is excellent feedback for the coaching team and swimmers that we are on the right track and excited for what lies ahead.”
