Sports Editor
The Glasgow University Swimming Team head into The Glasgow Taxis Cup determined to regain their title having surprisingly failed to win last year’s Swimming competition, the first time they have ever failed to do so. However, having enjoyed a good year and with Olympian Camilla Hattersley in their ranks, club captain Allie Quincey is confident of success.
“We have had such a good season.” Quincey, who captains the team alongside Martin Kartau, remarked. “We were really lucky to get a good group of Freshers this year.” Highlights have included defeating Edinburgh University 1s for the first time in ‘living memory’, a number of good results in BUCS, and qualifying 13th for the BUCS Swimming Team Championships, which takes place the weekend after the Taxis Cup. Quincey was very clear as to what brought about their recent success. “We’ve really upped our training this year. Our coach Matt (Nicholson) set out a more intense performance programme and everyone is taking it more seriously. We are really excited for the future of the Swimming Team.”
While the team has enjoyed a notable improvement as a whole, it is not without its star names and Quincey acknowledged that Hattersley, who finished 15th in the Women’s 800m Freestyle at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, remains one to watch. “She’s been training really well and having a great personal season,” Quincey said, before noting that Chris Muir, a Fresher, and Emily Clough, who specialises in backstroke, were also two to keep an eye out for.
Heading into the event as favourites, Quincey is clear that Glasgow will be going all the way to securing the title and three points for Glasgow. “We are more determined than ever to regain our title,” she said whilst acknowledging the great sense of “team pride” within sport at Glasgow that would hopefully secure a seventh Taxis Cup success in succession. Victory for the Swimming Team would be one small step to overall success. “We are pretty confident and hungry for it. We really wanna take our title back.”
