Over 800 Young Athletes Dive into a Weekend of Competition at the London Aquatics Centre
Written by: Samantha DeFily
More than 800 young people from across London came together at the London Aquatics Centre on 27th and 28th June for an exciting weekend of LYG competition, with Swimming, Aquathon, and Diving showcasing the talent and teamwork of these athletes.
Across the three events, young athletes competed against their peers to represent their boroughs, creating memories that will last a lifetime while building confidence and friendships through sport.
Joanna Williams, Bromley Team Manager, said, “It’s really nice to have all the different swimming clubs and schools in the borough come together and work as one team. They all had a great time. What’s really nice is even though there is a slight rivalry with the swimming clubs, this competition brings the kids all together and just helps them to remember that they’re doing it as part of a team.”
Friday’s Swimming competition welcomed 412 participants from 27 boroughs, who competed across Junior and Senior events in front of teammates, coaches, and families.
The winning boroughs of the Swimming Boys Competition:
1st: Havering
2nd: Bexley
3rd: Bromley
The winning boroughs of the Swimming Girls Competition:
1st: Croydon
2nd: Havering
3rd: Bromley
Amelia, a swimmer for Havering said, “I found the whole competition really fun. We got into our competitiveness, tried our hardest and supported our team. To me, this medal means that we can do anything that we put our mind to as a team.”
On Sunday, a further 400 young athletes representing 30 boroughs took on the Aquathon, combining a challenging swim with a fast-paced run.
The winning boroughs of the LYG Aquathlon competition:
1st: Havering
2nd: Richmond
3rd: Lewisham
Peter Dyer, Havering Team Manager said, “The London Youth Games has a good competitive, really relaxed environment, which is great. The younger year 7s look up to the older ones competing and I think that gives them really good role models. All the team are friends, they all train together, help each other and cheer each other on on the course. I love seeing the youngsters succeed, and it’s a really good day out. With this competition, it’s hopefully bringing the next generation through.”
A Diving competition was also featured, where 16 divers representing 5 boroughs impressed with their skills.
The winning boroughs of the LYG Diving competition:
1st: Havering
2nd: Walthamforest
3rd: Redbridge
Beyond the medals, the weekend highlighted the power of sport to bring young people together. Athletes from different schools and clubs united to represent their boroughs, cheering one another on and creating a supportive team environment that extends beyond individual competition.
Dom, Havering Team Manager for Swimming, said, “All the swimmers come from different clubs in Havering and it’s the dedication of those swimmers that have done the borough proud. It’s been an absolutely fantastic day and one of the best run youth swimming events we had in the past 5 years we’ve been doing this.”
The London Youth Games has long been a vital stepping stone for young athletes, with former participants going on to achieve success on the world stage. Diving alumni include Olympic medallists Noah Williams, Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix, and Scarlett Mew Jensen, while Olympic triathlon champion Alex Yee also began his journey representing Lewisham at LYG.
Events like these continue to demonstrate the important role sport plays in building confidence, developing friendships, and giving young Londoners opportunities to thrive outside of school.
A huge thank you goes to all of the team managers, volunteers, officials, and families whose support helped make the weekend successful.