Published: Thursday, 4th June, 2009 8:50am

Rodgie named in GB squad

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DALGETY BAY swimmer Craig Rodgie has been named in the Great Britain team selected for the IPC European Swimming Championships to be held in Iceland in October.

The Carnegie Swimming Club member benefited from a late decision to offer qualifying events for swimmers with a learning disability although selection is still provisional, subject to IPC confirmation.

At the recent British International Championships and European trials at Ponds Forge in Sheffield, Rodgie was up against Ben Procter, of Newquay, who was in fantastic form at the event, setting four new British records. Rodgie swam well to clinch second place to Procter in the 100m backstroke and was inside the European qualifying mark with a new personal best time of 1:09.53.

He also managed three fourth places in the finals of the 50m backstroke, 50m fly and 100m fly.

Earlier last month Rodgie had made history at the 2009 Scottish Senior Championships for swimmers with a learning disability in Dumfries when he became the first Scottish S14 swimmer to record a time below 60 seconds for the 100m freestyle at the national championships.

This is a very significant barrier for a performance swimmer with a disability and the modest young Fife student could not hide his delight. His time of 59.80 was a new national short course record and one of four open titles he won on the day along with a silver medal in breaststroke.

Rodgie was swimming as part of the Disability Sport Fife swim squad under the management of Anna Capon for the first time. She will lead the Fife swim team at the GB Summer Special Olympics Games in Leicester in July and Dumfries was an opportunity for the Fife team to demonstrate their fitness levels prior to the big event.

In addition to Rodgie, Ricky McGuire, Steven Penman, Christine Bannister and Keir Winsborough (all West Fife CSS) and Murray Davies (Dunfermline) all won national titles in Dumfries.