AFTER the three weekends of County Championships, the focus for Tornadoes of South Dorset shifted to the younger swimmers in the club.

A 25m club sprint gala was arranged for those swimmers aged 12 years and under.

For many this was their first taste of competition and as the gala was held under ASA rules with qualified officials, it enabled them to experience competition in a friendly club gala.

The results from this gala would assist the coaching staff in selecting a team for the upcoming Southern Junior League competition.

More than 70 swimmers, 38 boys and 38 girls from both the training squads and teaching groups competed in a great afternoon of racing and achieved some fantastic results.

All four strokes (butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle) were swum over 25m and there were 136 personal best times recorded and 66 first time swims.

Races were close throughout the afternoon and none more so than the final race of the boys’ 25m freestyle.

This was hotly-contested by three 12-year-olds, Josh Rowe, Ollie Mills and Thomas Hinde along with three 11-year-olds, Harry Hutchinson, Lee Penny and Scott Greaney. The first five swimmers were separated by just 0.3 seconds.

The winner was Mills who collected the gold medal in the 12 years with Rowe gaining silver and Hinde bronze.

The 11-year-old age group was claimed by Hutchinson with Greaney collecting silver and Penny the bronze.

Greaney completed a very successful gala by adding gold medals for the backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly to his silver from the freestyle.

Also winning three gold medals were Bethany Firth (10 years) in the butterfly, backstroke and freestyle, and Sam Matthews (nine years) in the backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle.

The medals were awarded to the top three in each age group, ribbons for those finishing in fourth to sixth position and a certificate of achievement for every swimmer who competed and were presented by the club president John Masters.

MEDAL WINNERS

Eight-and-under girls: Kate Faley – backstroke gold, freestyle silver and breaststroke bronze

Hannah Greaney – freestyle gold, backstroke silver

Amalie Hiscocks – backstroke bronze

Niamh White – breaststroke gold

Rebekah Walsh – breaststroke silver and freestyle bronze

Nine years girls:

Charlotte Pattimore – freestyle and backstroke gold and breaststroke and butterfly silver

Jazmine Callaby-Jackson – butterfly and breaststroke gold and backstroke and freestyle bronze

Emily Hanger – backstroke and freestyle silver and breaststroke bronze

10 years girls:

Bethany Firth – butterfly, backstroke and freestyle gold

Molly Frampton – butterfly silver and backstroke and breaststroke bronze

Phoebe Jones – backstroke and breaststroke silver and butterfly bronze

Caprice Locke-White – breaststroke gold and freestyle silver

Lizzy Gant – freestyle bronze

11 years girls:

Phoebe Mills – butterfly gold, backstroke and breaststroke silver and freestyle bronze

Jessica Gale – backstroke gold, butterfly and freestyle silver and breaststroke bronze

Abigail Barnes – butterfly bronze

Tabitha Samouelle – breaststroke and freestyle gold and backstroke bronze

12 years girls:

Chloe Perkins – butterfly gold, breaststroke silver and backstroke and freestyle silver

Amy Jackson – breaststroke gold, butterfly, backstroke and freestyle silver

Freya Stanger – backstroke and freestyle gold, butterfly and breaststroke bronze

Eight-and-under boys:

Joshua Pepper – backstroke gold

Ty Penny – backstroke silver

Louis Callaby-Jackson – backstroke and freestyle bronze

Luca Da Silva – breaststroke and freestyle gold

Harry Collinson – breaststroke silver

Harry Falconer – freestyle silver

Nine years boys:

Aaron Griffin – butterfly gold, backstroke and freestyle silver

Elliot Gover – butterfly silver

Sam Matthews – backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle gold

Jacob Buckland – backstroke bronze

Zack Griffiths – breaststroke silver

Kyle Graham – breaststroke bronze Cian Roy – freestyle bronze

10 years boys:

Lewis Limm – butterfly and freestyle gold and backstroke silver

Luke O’Dowd – butterfly, breaststroke and freestyle silver and backstroke bronze

Jacob Baldwin – backstroke and breaststroke gold and butterfly and freestyle bronze

11 years boys:

Scott Greaney – butterfly, backstroke and breaststroke gold and freestyle silver

Harry Hutchinson – freestyle gold, butterfly and breaststroke silver and backstroke bronze

Reece Dade – butterfly and breaststroke bronze

Lee Penny – backstroke silver and freestyle bronze

12 years boys:

Josh Rowe – butterfly and backstroke gold, breaststroke silver and freestyle bronze

Ollie Mills – breaststroke and freestyle gold, butterfly and backstroke silver

Thomas Hinde – freestyle silver and butterfly, backstroke and breaststroke bronze.

Organiser Alison Holmes was delighted with the afternoon’s event and said: “It was great to see so many swimmers competing and excellent results were attained by all.”

Tornadoes are very grateful to Alison and Leanne Holmes for organising the gala and to the volunteers who worked extremely hard on the day ensuring the smooth running of the event

Anyone wishing to join Tornadoes of South Dorset to either learn to swim, swim competitively, or wishing to access extra training, can contact the club secretary to arrange an assessment via the club’s website tornadoessecretary@btinternet.com