Young swimmers stranded in UK

Monday 12th December 2005, 12:00AM GMT.

AFTER spending yesterday shaving seconds off their personal bests in the pool, turning up three minutes late for their flight home spelt disaster for the 18-strong team from AIB Tigers this morning.

The three-minute delay – caused by a late bus at around 5 am this morning – means that the team, led by head coach Daniel Corden, have spent today trekking across the Midlands to make their second flight, 12 hours after the first.

The team, aged between ten and 17, are bringing home 12 medals from the City of Sheffield Swimming Gala at Ponds Forge International Sports Centre, and 75% of them achieved personal best times – but their Australian swimming coach Mr Corden said that they were just as excited about what today’s missed flight means for them.

‘The kids are stoked because they are missing a day of school,’ he said while on the train back to Sheffield this morning.

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