Swimming: Aberdeen and Lerwick among the winners at Scottish Swimming awards

Aberdeen Diving Club and Lerwick Amateur Swimming club were among the big winners at the Scottish Swimming awards on Saturday.

Aberdeen’s Noah Penman was named diver of the year while Anna Sless was named performance coach of the year.

Penman, who represented Britain at the European Games and medalled at the European Junior Championships, won the John and Margaret Bell award.

He said: “It’s great to receive this award and it gives me a lot of confidence going into next season and the future.

“I learnt so much from the Junior Europeans and the European Games.

“In my first outing in the senior team at the latter event, I went out with little expectations, I just wanted to get some experience and have fun, so to put in some decent performances at the same time was great.”

Penman was equally thrilled to see his coach Sless recognised with an award too.

He said: “I’m so thankful for my coach Anna, she’s been there throughout my diving career and continues to be there for me on my journey.

“I’m excited to see where we can take my diving to next now.”

Tears as Lerwick named club of the year at Scottish Swimming Awards

While Aberdeen celebrated a double there were tears of joy as Lerwick Amateur Swimming Club was named club of the year.

Several club members made their way from Shetland to the Radisson Blu Hotel in Glasgow for the showpiece evening on Saturday and the trip was well worth it.

Lerwick ASC beat off competition from Heart of Midlothian and Renfrew Baths to win the award.

It was the club’s range of support to its members and the surrounding community that gave them the edge.

The dedication to growing all areas of the club, from swimmers to coaches to committee members to officials, is “unmistakable”, the judging panel said.

Inga Geddes, chair of Lerwick ASC, said:  “It’s just an absolute honour, but really only what the swimmers deserve and it’s lovely recognition for everyone’s hard work.

“We are a family of coaches, committee members, parent volunteers and others and it’s lovely to be recognised for all the work we’ve been done.

“The tears from everyone at the event show just how proud we are, we are absolutely delighted.

“We love going that extra mile and the work that goes on is just phenomenal – to get the recognition for what we all do is just brilliant.”