Two members from Poole Swimming Club have qualified for the Aquatics GB Championships, placing them on the pathway to the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Eighteen-year-old senior captains Halle Hariss and Freddie Beasley will compete at the championships, held at the London Aquatics Centre from 14 to 19 of April, racing in the open-age category against some of the country’s top athletes.
The meet serves as the official trials for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, where swimmers aim to secure their place among Britain’s best.
“It’s my first one, it means I can see what I can do,” Beasley said. “I feel proud because I have got to this top level.”
Stepping up to senior competition
Competing in an open-age group, Hariss and Beasley will line up alongside established internationals, including breaststroke specialist Filip Nowacki, a multiple world and European junior champion, and backstroke star Lauren Cox, European champion.
Beasley will race the 50m,100m and 200m breaststroke as well as the 200 individual medley after previously qualifying for Olympic trails and medalling at the British summer Championships.
“I do deserve to be here, I can fight against the very best,” he said.
Hariss will swim in five events: 100m backstroke and freestyle, and 50m backstroke, freestyle, and butterfly.
Having competed at national level last year, she said: “I’m excited, there will be allot more senior swimmers there, I will be able to see them competing in all the finals, it feels like a goal I can reach.”
Training, sacrifice and education
The pair train 8 times a week on top of a committed gym schedule while balancing school and college commitments. Early mornings can be as early as 5:30am.
“I have had to sacrifice allot of my social life and focus a lot more on swimming than my academics,” Hariss said. “It has taken one hundred percent of my effort every day.”
Beasley added: “You really want to be doing all the sessions you can, even if you are sacrificing going out with your friends.”
Club Pathway and leadership
Poole Swimming Club has a track record of producing competitive talent. One of its most prominent alumni is Jacob Peters, a Tokyo 2020 Olympian and multiple Commonwealth and European medallist.
His success continues to inspire young swimmers in Dorset.
“I have always dreamed of racing against the best and hopefully one day I will be seen as one of the best,” Beasley said.
The swimmers also lead within the club as senior captains, mentoring younger athletes and helping shape the next generation.
Hariss said: “It feels like a role that I can take on, it makes me step out of my comfort zone.”
Coach’s perspective and future prospects
Head coach of Poole Swimming Club Chris Neilson said Hariss and Beasley’s achievements reflects the structured progression through the club’s performance pathway.
“They started here day one, doing the training following the pathway. It’s really good for them as a reward to see them achieve this level.”
Neilson explained that preparation for the championships involve building intensity and skills before tapering training volume closer to the competition, with a focus on nutrition and recovery.
“Think of a car accelerator, taking the foot off the gas pedal. The intensity doesn’t drop off but the milage does.”
Strong performances in London could boost both swimmers’ prospects for Commonwealth Games selection, and form part of a broader development looking towards further international competition.
“They are still succeeding, still improving and I don’t think yet we have unlocked their true potential,” Neilson said.
London represents just the beginning as both swimmers chase their goal of competing in Glasgow this summer.
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