Salford swimming teen prodigy smashes national record on 14th birthday

A Salford teenager has broken a British record in the 1500m free swim category of the 2023 British Swimming Championships on her 14th birthday.  

Amelie Blocksidge won the coveted title at the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre on April 9, the day she turned 14. 

The teen, who has been a member of the City of Salford Swimming Club Academy since the age of eight, exceeded the previous record by 22 seconds, with several of her competitors being more than ten years her senior. 

Amelie’s mother, Nicola said: “British Champion is the biggest domestic title you can win, it’s unheard of to win a British senior title at that age.  

“She got the silver in the 800m free swim there too.” 

Amelie’s record time of 16 minutes and 19.97 seconds in the 1500m also places her as the seventh fastest international female of all time. 

This puts her two places above the record set by seven-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky when she was the same age, according to ‘SWIMMINGSTATS’. 

Amelie’s championship feat is just one of a plethora of accomplishments completed by the student in the last year. She said: “[Last year] at Nationals, I won five golds; I then went to the Open Water competition and won that by a minute, even though I went all the way around the course, more than I needed to, by accident.

“At the other Winter Nationals in December, I got two golds in the 1500[m], so that was in the junior [aged 17 and under] and senior, and then in the 800[m] I got a junior gold and a senior silver, because an Olympian won that.

“In the 400[m] freestyle, I got a junior silver because I got touched out by 0.3[m], I got beat by a girl who was 17.”

The early months of 2023 hadn’t seen the swim virtuoso slow down either. 

Amelie also took home three British age group records at the Swedish swim Grand Prix in Kungsbacka in March, winning the 400, 800 and 1500m free swim titles by extraordinary markers. 

She has also consistently been winning titles across Lancashire, taking home 26 medals in total at the County Championships in January, with her current training routine of six to seven days a week in the pool paying off. 

She said: “At the Counties [County Championships] this year, I equalled the 800[m] British record.

“Even though I’ve been to big competitions and stuff, even if I’m at a little competition I’ll always get nervous, I can’t be relaxed about a race.

“I just want to do good, because every wants to do good don’t they? 

“Especially because I train really hard, I just want to do really well. 

“I like free [freestyle swimming] because I have quite a good stamina; not many people can keep it up on a 1500[m] but I can.” 

Amelie’s Grandfather Eric said: “Amelie is a fantastic swimmer and has been from a very young age. 

“The very first time she went into the water as a baby there was no fear, she absolutely loved it, like a duck to water, so to speak, and still does.  

“One of Amelie’s greatest assets is that she is a very intelligent swimmer; she instinctively knows what works for her and what pace to swim at. 

“Before races she tells me she gets very nervous, and I said to her it’s natural to get nervous, and it’s a good thing to get your adrenaline pumping, but don’t let the nerves get the better of you. 

“You have trained the best you can, so trust the process and trust your training and leave everything you have got in the pool.” 

Despite a year packed full of record-breaking wins, the Salford teen already has big plans for the rest of 2023. 

Her win at the championships means she will qualify for both the European and World Junior competitions, as well as the Youth Olympics and the Commonwealth Youth Games. 

She has also been selected to represent the ESSA England Schools’ Swimming Team in the under 15 World School Games, which will be held in the Barra Olympic Park, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this August.