CITY of Oxford’s Amanda Booth expressed her delight at being selected to take part in a new programme aimed at creating the next generation of top-class coaches.

The club’s head coach is one of 15 people in the country to be chosen for the Coach 2024 scheme.

The 14-month programme has been created by the ASA’s talent development team, England Programmes Swimming (EPS), to help the leading coaches develop their abilities even further.

It will cover all aspects of coaching, from enhancing their technical skills to developing a greater awareness of themselves that will enable them to better support their athletes.

Booth is looking forward to the new venture.

She said: “I am delighted to be given the opportunity to be part of the new Coach 2024 programme.

“This will help my personal coaching development and also the development of swimmers within the City of Oxford programme and hopefully enable us to progress more swimmers onto international level.

“In addition, I will be able to pass on information to my coaching colleagues within the club, network, county and region.”

Grant Robins, the EPS team leader, said: “Coach 2024 will help a cohort of 15 coaches become expert practitioners, both in the technical and soft skill aspects of their roles, so they can support our swimmers at the highest levels.”

CITY of Oxford qualified for the National Arena League Premier Division South final with a convincing victory in the second round gala at Beckenham.

Leading from the start, City amassed 259 points with 28 first, 14 second and third places from the 50 events.

City’s total points see them qualify for the final as top seeds ahead of reigning national champions, Guildford, the only other unbeaten team.

Wycombe, Thanet, Sevenoaks and Bromley complete the final line-up to be held in Crawley on December 10.

City will be hoping to reach the National A final for the first time.

Result: 1 C of Oxford 259, 2 Bromley 205, 3 Guildford 167, 4 Portsmouth Northsea 148, 5 Staines 146, 6 Reading 126.