The weekend saw a fantastic start to Sutton & Cheam Swimming Club's performance at the London Region Age Group Championships at Crystal Palace.

The medley team of Michael Rees, William Ward, Teao Hughes and Nathan Eves started the ball rolling with a fantastic bronze medal in the 4 x 100m event.

This success was soon followed by Tom Gibson, 12, gaining sixth place in the 100m freestyle final with a time that qualifies him to compete at the National Age Group Championships at Sheffield in July.

William Ward, 13, then went onto win his first individual medal of the weekend by achieving third place in the 200m backstroke event.

The following day, William Ward was on form again with a bronze place in the 100m butterfly event with a fantastic personal best time and the freestyle team of Nathan Eves, William Ward, Tom Gibson and Teao Hughes swam into silver place with their time only 2.5 seconds behind the winners.

William Ward then excelled himself by winning another medal, a silver, in the 200m breaststroke in the last session of the day.

The times achieved by Sutton & Cheam’s relay swimmers in both the medley and freestyle events should also guarantee them a place at the National Age Group Championships.

In total the Club’s swimmers made it into 14 finals over the course of the weekend including:

April Hedges, 12, placing fith in the 200m breaststroke and seventh in the 200m backstroke;

Joseph Lenihan, 11, sixth in the 200m backstroke;

Kieran Rutter, 12, seventh in the 200m backstroke;

Michael Rees, 13, fourth in the 200m backstroke and fifth in the 200m breaststroke;

Nathan Eves, 14, fourth in the 400m freestyle;

Teao Hughes, 14, sixth in the 100m freestyle and fourth in the 200m butterfly; and

William Ward, seventh in the 100m freestyle.

Other strong swims were put in by Natalie Andrew, 14, in the 400m freestyle, Lois Martin, 13, in the 100m butterfly and 200m backstroke, and Alexander Wimbush, 14 in the 400m freestyle.