The Tokyo Olympics may have been hosted nearly 6000 miles from Bishop's Stortford but Olympic fever couldn't have been stronger amongst the Stortfordian Community as we supported our very own OS Olympian Elinah Phillip (BH, 15-19) from afar. 

Hugely talented and dedicated, swimmer Elinah has competed in her second straight Olympic Games previously having finished 48th in prelims of the 50 freestyle at the 2016 Rio Games when she was just 16.  Having been awarded the additional honour of flag bearing at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic opening ceremony, she was part of the three-athlete team competing for the British Virgin Islands.

Elinah competed in the Olympic 50m freestyle heats on Friday 30th July and finished 2nd in her heat in a time of 25.74 – setting a new Personal Best time. Overall she finished 34th in a field of 81.

Olympic competition in Tokyo comes for Elinah having recently set a new BVI national record in the 100 freestyle with a time of 58.63 at the South Florida Aquatic Club Last Chance Olympic Trials Qualifier. Following her Olympic competition in Japan, she will enter her junior year studying Pre-Dentistry at Florida International University located in Miami, Florida this autumn.

Cheering her on from across the miles the Stortfordian Community is incredibly proud of all that Elinah has achieved and confident that  she will inspire future generations of Stortfordians in the pool.

Sending huge congratulations to Elinah and looking forward to continuing to follow her swimming career as it goes from strength to strength after she returns to Florida to continue her studies and training in the Autumn!

(Olympic images Photo Credit: Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)