Sophia Walker, 12, posts two personal bests at Bülach qualifying meet

Sophia Walker, a 12-year-old from Limmat Sharks Zürich, set personal bests in the 200m freestyle and 400m individual medley at the Vereinsmeisterschaft Jugend Qualifikation on November 1, 2025, in Bülach, Switzerland, racing against older girls in four events.

Walker competed in the 100m individual medley, 200m breaststroke, 200m freestyle and 400m individual medley at the short-course meet. She finished 15th in the 100m IM with a time of 1:18.48 and 17th in the 200m breaststroke in 3:07.02, earning 397 FINA points.

Her strongest results came in the longer events. Walker swam the 200m freestyle in 2:33.75, good for 16th place and a personal best with 388 FINA points. She also improved her previous mark in the 400m IM, touching the wall in 6:09.84 for 17th place and 362 FINA points.

Several swimmers across the age groups reached the podium. A 12-year-old from Schwimmclub Aare achieved a personal best in the 100m backstroke while taking bronze in her age group. A 15-year-old boy from Schwimmclub Bülach earned his first gold medal in the 200m butterfly at this meet, a milestone for the young swimmer.

Limmat Sharks Zürich collected 9 podium finishes overall, with 3 gold, 4 silver and 2 bronze medals. The club ranked second among the 8 participating teams, trailing only host club Schwimmclub Bülach.

Walker did not reach the podium in any of her four events, but her two personal bests marked clear progress in her middle-distance racing. The meet served as a qualifying opportunity for regional competition, and her times in the 200m freestyle and 400m IM moved her closer to the required standards.