Winsford kids make waves

The championships are at the halfway stage and the swimmers already have an impressive tally of 15 medals, four gold, seven silver and four bronze.

Abi and Lucie Tetley both became double county champions when they were victorious in the 50 metre butterfly and 100 metre individual medley events.

Abi, 15, dominated the Open 50m butterfly final from the start and a powerful turn saw her race home for the title in 30.55s.

Lucie, 13, won her butterfly title with a storming finish as the fastest four qualifiers raced in neck and neck.

She lowered her personal best to 33.95s and took the gold by just 2/100ths of a second.

The sisters both improved their personal best times on the way to another double gold display in the 100m individual medley. Lucie's time of 1m 13.12s set a new championship record in the 13 years category.

Abi was also swimming impressively in the freestyle events where she won the silver at 100 metres and the bronze at 200 metres.

Ashley Walton's display of pace in the 12 years event brought him more medal success, and a trio of qualifying times to take him to the national age group finals in Sheffield this summer.

He was in silver medal spot five times, for the 50 metre breast stroke and butterfly finals, the 100m backstroke and individual medley and the 200m individual medley.

Ashley also won a bronze medal in the 100m feestyle when he demolished his personal best time by nearly four seconds to hurtle home in 1m 2.26s

The 11 years age group saw Aaron Higgins and George White put in strong performances to improve their personal best times and make the final of the 50m breast stroke.

George finished fourth in his first appearance at a major championship, with Aaron a whisker behind in fifth place. Aaron also swam strongly in the 100m individual medley as he lowered his best time by over five seconds to finish seventh.

Nigel Davies and Gareth Clwyd Jones was also finalists for Winsford.