A 31-STRONG team of swimmers from Ledbury and Malvern Swimming Club returned from their third weekend of competition at the Worcester County Championships having achieved some of their most impressive performances to date.

The championships are the highlight of the year for many of the club's young swimmers and their efforts were duly rewarded with a number of personal best times, medals, finals places and regional qualifying times.

Leading the way in the medal haul was Oliver Jones with 11 gold and seven silver medals as well as nine junior county titles.

Jones also broke two long-standing junior county records for the 50-metre and 100m breaststroke in the process.

Eva Bailey scored a hat-trick of victories in all three butterfly events as well as two silver medals in the 100m and 400m medley and three bronzes in the 100m, 400m and 800m freestyle.

Competing in all but three of the 16 events held at the championships, 10-year-old Finley Fergusson took gold and silver in the 100m and 400m medley respectively.

Also bagged was a second silver medal in the 200m breaststroke and six bronzes in the 50m, 100m and 200m freestyle, 50m breaststroke, 100m fly and 200m backstroke.

Building on her medals success at last year's championships, 11-year-old Emily Goggins secured 10 medals from her busy 24-race schedule, including silver in the 200m fly and bronze in the 400m medley.

Jacob Geller, 12, competed in the same gruelling double and was also rewarded with silver in the 200m fly and bronze in the 400m medley.

Geller also had a busy schedule, competing in nine events over the two weekends and achieving seven personal best swims.

15-year-old swimmers Sam Palmer and Molly Schofield managed to win seven medals between them despite a busy exam schedule in the build-up to the championships.

Palmer secured silver in both the 50m and 100m fly and bronze in the 50m and 100m back and 50m free events.

Current club captain Schofield secured a silver and bronze in the 50m fly and 100m free, just missing out on the medals in fourth place in both the 100m fly and 50m free.

Also winning medals across the three weekends of racing were Finley Stephenson (400m free – silver), Tom Birley (1500m free – silver) and former club captain Eve Watson (100m back – bronze). Other finalists included Aaron Jackson, Hattie Cox and Isobel Geller.

Thirteen-year-old Luke Hopkins reached eight finals, narrowly missing out on a bronze medal finishing fourth in the 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke although his efforts were rewarded with regional qualifying times in all three.

Swimmers also qualifying for the championships and putting in strong performances, many in PB times, were Angie Vasileva, Jessica Schofield, Elizabeth Urbanski, Emily Russell, Hazel Roe, Thea Snee, Abi Urbanski, Rowan Robertson, Felicy Cox, James Young, Malachi Cashmore and club captain William Kennedy plus first-time qualifiers Amelia Jones, Lily Forsyth, Ava Smith, Lexie Hopkins and Dylan Loh.

Junior head coach Rob Young said: "This was an extremely good championships for the club with so many great performances to reflect on.

"This is the result of a lot of hard work and dedication leading up to the event and a strong belief in their own ability.

"It's very satisfying to see their commitment being rewarded.”

The club train at both Ledbury Leisure Centre and Malvern College pool.

For more details email duncanloraine1@gmail.com.