Serving Larchmont Village, Hancock Park, and the Greater Wilshire neighborhoods of Los Angeles since 2011.

Swimmers Make a Splash at Junior Olympics

Nathaniel Feinstein (left) and Nicolas Turrill (right) in their Junior Olympic shirts

Two fifth graders swam side by side in practice four days a week for the Hancock Park Swim Club, pacing their strokes against one another in a healthy competition of friends. So when both Nathaniel Feinstein and Nicolas Turrill qualified for the Southern California Junior Olympics Coach Peter Lambert was “very pleasantly surprised.”

Both boys swam the JO 50 meter freestyle race in the 9-10 year old bracket in February and placed 11th and 12th respectively. The duo both swam excellent times under 30 seconds for the sprint-like race  which is approximately two lengths of the pool at the LA Tennis Club where they practice, or one long lap in an official pool.

“We’re good friends and love to race against one another in practice,” quipped Nicolas in an interview with the Buzz. “But at competitions we’re really part of the team effort and want to do the best for the team.” Nicolas, a resident of Windsor Square, is a fifth grader at St Brendan School. Besides the healthy daily competition in practice, Nicolas also credits a summer Junior Lifeguard program in Manhattan Beach as helping him build his speed and endurance. He also likes to swim butterfly and almost qualified to compete in the butterfly at the So Cal Junior Olympics.

Nathaniel Feinstein, also a ten year old at the time of the race, likes to swim butterfly too but prefers the 50 meter freestyle race because, as he says,  “…you can go faster in the 50 freestyle than any other race.” He’s been on the HP Swim Club team for about two years now and hopes to swim in the “real” Olympics when he grows up. The June St. resident is also a slalom ski racer so has to balance practicing the two sports with his schoolwork at Temple Isreal Day School in Hollywood.

The “novice team” of  the Hancock Park Swim Club swims Monday-Thursday at the LA Tennis Club under the guidance of coaches Lambert and David Blanchard. Both Nathaniel and Nicolas hope to soon move up to the older section of swimmers who practice in the Marlborough School pool from 4:45 to 7 pm, Monday – Friday. Coach Lambert is looking for additional ‘developed’ swimmers to round out the older team so if you know a fast fish in the water, contact the Hancock Park Swim Club.

Hancock Park Swim Club
[email protected]
818-445-5188
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Julie Grist
Julie Grist
Julie co-founded the Larchmont Buzz with fellow buzzer Mary Hawley in 2011 and served as Editor, Publisher and writer for the hive for many years until the sale of the Buzz in August 2015. She is still circling the hive as an occasional writer.

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