From rags to riches, the UCL Swim Team was Cinderella no more, a metamorphosis witnessed by all at Hillingdon Leisure Centre.
Coming into Varsity having lost 144-152 in 2025, tensions were high and stakes even higher as UCL’s Swim Team came prepared for battle. Chlorine and sweat filled the air as the team took to the water, starting off strong with a tallied lead. Claiming 1st and 3rd in a plethora of races, UCL was placed in good stead to take the whole competition.
As the races progressed, the UCL Women’s Team took 1st and 2nd place in the 200m Freestyle, a heavy contributor to UCL’s overall score, adding 9 points to the total.
Skins was also won by the UCL team, a series of back-to-back 50m Backstroke races conducted elimination-style. Men’s Competitive Captain Yekai Yang told The Cheese Grater that “commitment is the most important thing in professional sports, and I think our team managed that pretty well [this year].”
However, commitment alone hadn’t won them the competition yet, with KCL beginning a small streak of wins in the final quarter of the competition. Distress filled the stands as chants grew in ferocity, with UCL fans spurring on their swimmers with excitement fueled by fear.
UCL was looking to take the overall title, with a strong roster of wins against King’s.
The final race of the night was the 8x50 Freestyle (Men’s) featuring Men’s Competitive Captain Yekai Yang, alongside swimmers Eden Toh, Daigo Nakajima, Joe Garfield, Tomasso Bianzino, Ethan Cau, Juan Villazón, and Jordan Sydney-Darling.
The whistle was the only release of air as breaths remained held through the entire race. A tight win, but a clear one nonetheless, UCL took the final lead of the night, bringing home a title that had been a year in the making.
A final score of 177-143 left UCL the outright winners of 2026 Varsity Swimming, with victory lingering in the air for all to enjoy. A bitter King’s team showed remorse and disappointment, rendering UCL’s Varsity win that extra bit sweeter.
Yang said of his team’s redemption from last year:
“I think this year, we had a more united team…and everyone was very committed to training. [Having had] a lot of wins during BUSL [British University Swimming League] Round 2 and BUSL National Finals, the team worked very hard, everyone attended training and we’re very happy with the results this year.”
This was a huge win not just for the team, but for every UCL student supporting on the sidelines. Fans’ screams and roars mixed in with intense humidity, diffusing across the natatorium. A redemption never seen before and the crowning of a worthy set of winners for this year’s competition marked a gratifying start to Varsity 2026.