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Young Barracudas are in top form

Buy photos » Blythe Barracudas celebrate their fine displays. (s)

THE youngest members of Blythe Barracudas Swimming Club got their first taste of competition at the Birmingham Water Festival Open Meet held at Stechford Cascades.

Organised by the Swimming Action Group, this is an important event in the swimming calendar as it gives novice gala swimmers experience of competing.

Blythe were well represented with 27 swimmers taking part and achieving some outstanding swims.

Ten-year-old triplets Benedict, Giselle and Jacques Barker excelled, taking home ten medals between them. Jacques struck gold in the 100m IM, 25m butterfly and 50m breaststroke; he also took silver in the 50m backstroke. Giselle impressed with silver in the 50m breaststroke and bronze in the 50m backstroke and 25m butterfly whilst sibling Benedict achieved bronze medals in the 100m IM, 50m backstroke and 50m breaststroke.

It was gold all round for the nine-year-old girls with Jennifer Paris collecting a double in the 25m butterfly and 25m breaststroke, Maria Long in the 100m IM and Erin Molloy in the 25m freestyle.

Other notable swims came from eight-year-old Lily Reel who achieved her first gold in the 25m butterfly; ten-year-old Hannah Devenport who took silver in the 25m butterfly, 50m freestyle and bronze in the 100m IM and nine-year-old Olivia Arnold who won bronze in her 25m backstroke event. Jennifer Paris added a silver to her haul in the 25m freestyle event.

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