LEDBURY swimmers started their annual long-distance championships with great enthusiasm resulting in two new club records in the 400m freestyle.

Fifty-five swimmers tackled this tough event, 16 lengths of the pool, with 50 of them adding new best times and 16 swimmers achieving their county qualifying times.

The youngest competitor, Sophie Green, aged six, showed great determination with strong swimming and tumble turns throughout, to finish her swim under the nine minute mark.

In the division for swimmers aged 11 and under, Lucy Stokes swam a 15 second improvement from her previous best in May, to win the junior championship in a new record time of 5.30.46, way inside the county standard.

Emma Fitzpatrick showed enormous improvement in her stamina to finish second and Alice Parsons swam a focused race to take the bronze medal in a new best time which was also a county qualifying time.

In the senior championship, Lucy Bennion, 15, dominated the race with a long stroke and even pace, making it impossible for the younger girls to seriously challenge her. Jenna Clark, 12, took other competitors by surprise and settled into her pace early to swim a very determined 16 lengths, and was a very deserving runner-up in an impressive personal best time. Chasing hard was Eloise van Vuren, 12, also with a personal best improved time of over 30 seconds from last year, securing her county time for the March championships.

Eleven-year-old David Middleton was determined to win the junior championship, setting a strong pace right from the start. With a 1.15.07 for the first 100m he kept the pressure on and relied on his fitness to keep him strong for the further 12 lengths to finish in 5.23.41, a Midland District time.

George Parsons finished second and Chris Leitch third, both within their county qualifying times.

There was great expectation on 13-year-old Thomas Stokes to demonstrate his overall improvement and break the senior record and he didn't disappoint, setting a blistering pace with a 1.05.13 for the first 100m.

With Rhys Davey challenging him all the way, he pulled out a very fast finishing 100m to take the senior championship in a Midland district time of 4.34.57. Rhys finished second in a new best county time and Arron Almond was third.