LEDBURY & District swimmers finished their busy year with two successful events last week.

On Wednesday, 54 swimmers participated in the final club championship event, the 400m freestyle which gave top juniors Heather Farmer and Thomas Stokes the opportunity of adding to their already impressive list of new records set this year and bringing the total of new records set in 2003 to an amazing 82!

The senior winners were Chloe Watson and Rhys Davey. All four winners gained their County qualifying times as did Arron Almond, Patrick Blake, James Middleton, George Bennion and Bradley Smith.

On Saturday, a team of swimmers competed in the Hereford Clubs Closed Championship at Ross-on-Wye. This is an annual gala with each club in Herefordshire invited to enter three swimmers in the 50m individual races and a mixed team in the relays.

LADASC proved to be the strongest team, winning 17 of the 34 events.

In the 10/11 age group, Ledbury swimmers dominated the podium, winning the gold, silver and bronze medals in five of the eight races.

Eleven-year-old Hannah Kirby had her best ever gala resulting in two county qualifying times with a gold medal in the freestyle event and a silver in the backstroke, which was won by team mate Heather Farmer, also in a county time.

Hannah Bloxsome swam a brilliant two lengths fly, winning the race by over 10 metres and more importantly swimming under 38 seconds for the first time, after months of near misses, to gain her county time.

It was down to the youngest swimmer in that age group, Emma Fitzpatrick to win the breaststroke, in a new pb and county time, giving Ledbury gold medals in every event.

In the same age group Thomas Stokes won the butterfly, breaststroke and backstroke.

Luke Rycroft and Lucy Bennion were the winners of the 12/13 breaststroke and Hywel Pothecary won both the breaststroke and freestyle in the 14/over age group.

The nine years medley relay team, Patty Holloway (backstroke), David Middleton (breaststroke), Joe Bloxsome (butterfly) and Lucy Stokes (freestyle) were superb, all swam their strokes well and they won by almost a quarter of a length. The same four competed in the freestyle relay with more gold medals.

LADASC president, Mike Hardy joined representatives from the other clubs to present the medals and said: "This was a great way for the swimmers to finish a very full and successful year.

"On behalf of the club I would like to thank our generous sponsors for their help in enabling us to provide such a wonderful youth organisation for the local community."

If anyone would like more information about the club or would like to arrange a trial to join in January, please telephone Viv Jones, 01531 660692.