b'Old Ellesmerians represent Team GB at TokyoWe are incredibly proud of three former Ellesmere College Titans who have recently returned from representing Team GB in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.Freya Anderson, Hector Pardoe and Cassie Wild battled their way through the British Swimming Selection Trials to secure their places on the team, fulfilling their lifelong dreams to compete in the Olympics.Freya (Woodard 19) competed in the Womens 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay, achieving 5th place in the final, and reached the semi-finals for the 100m Freestyle with an excellent time of 0.53.53, and the 200m Freestyle at 1.57.10. In addition, Freya stepped in for Anna Hopkin in the Mixed 4 x 100m Heats alongside Adam Peaty, James Guy and Kathleen Dawson, achieving a combined time of 3.38.75. The quartet beat the European Record and were only 0.34 seconds outside of the World Record. Freya was replaced by Anna in the final when the foursome went on to win Gold. Although Freya was denied a place on the podium she later received her well-earned Gold medal after the official ceremony.Hector (Woodard 19) had an eventful race where he had to retire on the final lap of his 10k open water swim following an incident where he was elbowed in the eye, resulting in him requiring medical attention. Hector had a very impressive swim, managing to get himself within the top ten before encountering his injury. This illustrates the sheer brutality of open water swimming and its potential risks.Cassie (Talbot 18), competed in the Backstroke 100m and 200m, finishing her competition in the heats with an impressive 1.00.20 for her 100m performance and 2.12.93 for her 200m. These amazing achievements are just the start for our three young Old Ellesmerians, who were much younger and inexperienced than the other competitors in their field. We cant wait to see them competing in Paris in 2024, the world really is their oyster! Ellesmere College Newsletter Summer 202119'