THREE Worcestershire swimmers competed in the East and West Midland Short Course Championships at Nottingham’s new £16 million leisure development.

Shropshire’s Ellesmere College Titans trio of Worcester Swimming Club’s Tazmin Pugh, Harry Bamforth and Chloe Golding all took to the pool.

Swimmers qualified for open finals with awards split between youths of Pugh’s 15 and under section and the over 16s.

Hot prospect Pugh repeated her international success from around the globe with seven junior gold medals and trophies for her age group as well as setting a British record for a 15-year-old.

Vale swimmer Bamforth, also 15, set personal bests in every event to make the tough qualifying times, including the 200m freestyle (two minutes 3.39 seconds) and 400m individual medley (4.53.93).

Pugh, 15, achieved 4.21.04 to make the 400m freestyle finals and then went quicker to take open silver and junior gold with a new regional record of 4.09.86.

Evesham’s Golding, 17, set the pool alight in the 100m backstroke final, winning gold in 59.41 for a new senior regional record.

Pugh continued her winning ways in the 200m butterfly, beating the older girls to the overall gold in 2.10.48.

She faced Golding in the 200m backstroke final and secured gold in 2.08.54 with her teammate recording 2.10.86 for senior silver.

Bamforth improved his personal bests in the 400m freestyle (4.17.87) and 200m backstroke (2.16.79) on the second day.

In the 800m freestyle, Pugh swam a regional record for open silver in 8.41.15 and a junior gold.

Golding was 12th in 8.59.68 and also fifth in the 200m freestyle in 2.04.05.

Pugh set another regional record in the 100m butterfly of 1.00.25 for junior and open golds.

In the 50m backstroke, Golding managed senior silver in 28.21.

Pugh added to her junior gold collection in the 400m individual medley with another regional record in 4.44.92 for an open bronze.

She then set her British age-group record of 27.10 in the 50m butterfly for her seventh gold and fourth open title.

Pugh now holds six short-course and seven long-course regional records.