A stunning 97 per cent personal best-hit rate was achieved by Sirens ASC swimmers at an international meet in Berlin, last weekend.

In a competition that featured 106 teams from 27 nations, over 1,400 swimmers gathered at Berlin’s famous Europasportpark for the three-day meet. Sirens fielded 23 swimmers and they figured in 103 starts at the FINA-approved Olympic qualifier. Sirens had three coaches in Berlin.

First off the blocks was Emily Grech Carr.

Undaunted by the setting, the 11-year-old shaved four seconds off her time in the 50m butterfly, achieving 39.28. Others followed her lead with equally significant times including Kyra Debono, Jessica Powell and Sasha Gatt.

The boys were not to be outdone as Benjamin Scerri, Matthew Zammit, Andrea Mallia and Rudi Spiteri powered through the lanes to improve on their times.

Spiteri and Mallia touched the wall first in their respective heats.

Leah Tanti, 13, swam an impressive 29.80secs in the 50m freestyle followed by 36.00secs for her 50m breaststroke. The latter time meant a new personal best as well as a place in the age group final where she touched home in ninth place.

Jeremy Bugeja and Michael Umnov also qualified to the finals in the 50m freestyle and 100m butterfly, respectively.

Bugeja placed ninth with a time of 25.65 and Umnov swam his 100 butterfly in 56.94, finishing eighth while swimming in the same event as great Hungarian Olympian Laszlo Cseh.

The Sirens ASC swimmers who took part in the Berlin meet.

The Sirens squad also registered fast times on Sunday, the third and last day of the meeting.

Sharone Sant and Daniela Micallef took two seconds off their respective personal best times in the 100m breaststroke and Tanti did it again in the same race when clocking 1:19.75.

Andre Camilleri swam a personal best of 1:20.81 in the boys’ 100m freestyle.

Without doubt, the award for sheer determination in the Sirens group went to Scerri.

In one of the last races of the meeting – the 100m freestyle – the judges tried to recall swimmers due to a technical starting fault. Oblivious to what was going on, Scerri, 12, continued with his swim and clocked a four-second personal best for the distance, also getting a big applause from the crowd present.

Sirens head coach Daniela Deguara Gatt was thrilled with the performance of her swimmers.

“Without exception, our group was simply superb,” she said.

“One or two of them were battling with illness, but they carried on.

“All of us have been impressed with their resolve and positivity and given the size and significance of the competition, we are all proud of their commitment.”