KAREN Legg gave herself another confidence boost ahead of this month's Commonwealth Games when she became the ASA national 100m freestyle champion.

The 24-year-old from Ferndown Otters has won several national titles over 200m and 400m in the past but this was her first over the blue riband distance.

It was achieved in thoroughly convincing fashion. Legg literally destroyed a field composed entirely of international swimmers to win the final at the ASA championships in Coventry.

Her time of 56.23sec put her almost a second ahead of her nearest challenger, the 6ft 3in Sarah Whewell, from Newcastle.

Legg also took silver in the 200m freestyle in 2:01.02, a second behind Nicola Jackson who, despite being the British record holder, failed to qualify for the Commonwealths.

Karen Pickering, who will be swimming alongside the Dorset girl in Manchester, failed to make the final after placing a dismal 13th in the heats in her slowest time for years - 2:08.10.

Legg, who will be swimming both events in the Games, said: "My speed has been going well lately and this is the result. Everyone says Coventry is a slow pool so I was surprised at my time. I'd have been happy to swim a second slower. It didn't feel all that hard, either."

She added: "I was slightly disappointed with the 200 but it was on the second 100 that I was slower and that will come when I'm rested. It's looking good for the Commonwealth Games."

Otters team-mate Seth Chappels stormed to a fine silver medal behind world championship medallist Mark Foster in the 50m butterfly in a time of 25.28.

It is his second medal at this level in just over 12 months, in both cases with world record holder and Olympic finalist Foster in the race.

Chappels was also fifth in both the 50m and 100m freestyle in long course times of 24.06 and 52.31 respectively.

Holly Fox, from Ringwood but now training in Glasgow, won the 200m and 400m individual medley, both events in which she will swim in Manchester.

Bournemouth Dolphins' defending champion Charlotte Evans, whose recent training has been hampered by illness, injury and college work, was pleased to come sixth in the 100m breaststroke in 1:12.51.

She also qualified fourth fastest for the 200m final in 2:40.17 but withdrew as she felt her lack of preparation would prevent her from doing the event justice.

She was 10th in the 400m medley (5:04.52) and is now focusing the ASA youth championships in August.

Ferndown's Alex Savage recorded a fine 2:21.69 to add a fifth place in the 200m medley to the 13th she achieved in the 100m butterfly (1:06.02) and 19th in the 100m breaststroke (1:17.45).

The medley time was 0.57sec inside Caroline Smart's Dorset senior record and 1.48sec inside the junior mark, held by Charlotte Evans.

Fellow Otter Hayley Morris came 12th in the 200m freestyle in 2:08.03 and 20th in the 100m free (59.98).

Jessica Brown was 11th in the 200m backstroke (2:23.78), 18th in the 100m (1:08.53) and 21st in the 50m back (32.55) and Tina Dunford 21st in the 100m breaststroke (1:18.08).

Wareham masters swimmer Les Jessop won five medals with a single swim at the Western Counties open water championships off Preston Beach at Weymouth.

Jessop, 49, completed the 6,000m course in 1hr 40min 30sec to take both the Dorset and Western Counties 40-49yrs titles.

He was also second in the open masters 40-49 category and the Dorset open section and third in the Western Counties open section.

Bob Holman, who swims for Wareham and Bere Regis, was the first Dorset and Western Counties man home in the 50-plus age group after recording a time of 2hr 5min 26sec.

Poole Schools swimmer Lara Maskell was one of several double winners at the Dorset Primary Schools championship at Littledown, where she won the years 5-6 100m freestyle and 50m backstroke.

In the same age group Lydia McManus (Bournemouth and Christchurch A) won the 25m butterfly and 50m breaststroke.

In the year four age group, East Dorset's Zoe Watson won the 25m backstroke and freestyle while Craig Freeman (Bournemouth and Christchurch A) took the equivalent boys' events.

Bournemouth and Christchurch A won the overall girls' title and South West Dorset A the boys' section just two points ahead of Poole.

Results - Boys Yr 4: 1 C Freeman (BCA) 19.26, 2 B Gale (P) 21.14, 3 R Edwards (PU) 21.34. 25m freestyle: 1 C Freeman (BCA) 17.06, 2 W Rowles (SWA) 17.76, 3 J Elkington (SWB) 17.76. 25m breaststroke: 1 B Gale (P) 24.48, 2 A White (ND) 25.29, 3 J Hector (PU) 26.13. 4x25m relays, freestyle: 1 Uplands (P) 1:18.92, 2 Holy Trinity Jnr (SWA) 1:21.69, 3 Chickerell (SWB) 1:30.68. Mixed stroke: 1 Uplands (P) 1:35.28, 2 Stoborough 1:35.74, 3 Chickerell (SWA) 1:44.00.

Yrs 5-6 100m freestyle: 1 C O'Brien (ED) 1:10.00, 2 L Bartlett (P) 1:13.18, 3N Laming (SWA) 1:15.88. 50m backstroke: 1 N Marsh (BCA) 37.40, 2 C O'Brien (ED) 38.73, 3 R Dibben (P) 40.76. 25m butterfly: 1 E Knott (SWB) 17.90, 2 D McDonald (ED) 18.63, 3 N Laming (SWA) 19.16. 50m freestyle: 1 T Lawson (SWA) 34.91, 2 A Watt (BCB) 36.50, 3 J Worley (BCA) 38.38. 50m breaststroke: 1 D McDonald (ED) 43.70, 2 S Rowles (SWB) 46.83, 3 W Hector (PU) 46.83. 4x25m relays, freestyle: 1 Longfleet Combined (P) 1:08.43, 2 Ferndown Middle (ED) 1:08.43, 3 Tophill Jnr (SWA) 1:10.62. Mixed stroke: 1 Tophill Jnr (SWA) 1:22.43, 2 Ferndown Middle (ED) 1:22.46, 3 Longfleet Combined 1:22.75.

Girls Yr 4 25m backstroke: 1 Z Watson (ED) 9.14, 2 S Notley (P) 20.50, 3 S Moreland (BCA) 21.50. St Martin's (BCB) 1:27.25, 3 Radipole Primary (SWB) 1:31.94. 25m freestyle: 1 Z Watson (ED) 16.52, 2 S Notley (P) 17.94, =3 S Moreland (BCA) & K Roberts (SWA) 18.52. 25m breaststroke: 1 F Hughes (ED) 24.35, 2 C Titheridge (SWB) 24.84, 3 K Andrews (ND) 25.60. 4x25m relays, freestyle: 1 Highcliffe Jnr (BCA) 1:24.88, 2 St Martin's (BCB) 1:27.25, 3 Radipole Primary (SWB) 1:31.94. Mixed stroke: 1 Talbot Heath (BCA) 1:37.60, 2 St Martin's (BCB) 1:38.15, 3 Radipole Primary (SWB) 1:46.01.

Yrs 5-6 100m freestyle: 1 L Maskell (P) 1:09.32, 2 H Smith (PU) 1:14.00, 3 S Howes (ED) 1:15.33. 50m backstroke: 1 L Maskell (P) 35.30, 2 S Major (PU) 37.49, 3 C Rafferty (BCA) 39.46. 25m butterfly: 1 L McManus (BCA) 16.72, 2 S Bennett (SWA) 18.09, 3 S Major (PU) 18.25. 50m freestyle: 1 H Smith (PU) 33.56, 2 K Rowles (BCB) 33.96, 3 S Burns (P) 35.31. 50m breaststroke: 1 L McManus (BCA) 43.86, 2 E Fisher (BCB) 45.00, 3 C Matthews (ND) 45.27. 4x25m relays, freestyle: 1 Talbot Heath (BCA) 1:05.55, 2 St Aldhelm's Combined (P) 1:09.96, 3 Highcliffe Jnr (BCB) 1:10.03. Mixed stroke: 1 Talbot Heath (BCA) 1:16.91, 2 Highcliffe Jnr (BCB) 1:21.25, 3 St Michael's Colehill (ED) 1:21.50.

Overall results + key. Boys: 1 South West Dorset A (SWA) 70, 2 Poole (P) 68, 3 East Dorset (ED) 63, 4 South West Dorset B (SWB) 53, 5 Purbeck (PU) 47, 6 Bournemouth & Christchurch A (BCA) 45, 7 Bournemouth & Christchurch B (BCB) 42, 8 North Dorset (ND) 33.

Girls: 1 BCA 78, 2 ED 62, 3 BCB 57, 4 P 54, 5 PU 51, 6 SWA 48, 7 SWA 3, 8 ND 28.