Tom Bielich has continued his record breaking form in the lead up to the NatWest Island Games in Aaland, with two more Junior Long Course Island Records at the South West Age Group Championships held at the 50m pool at Millfield lately.
His time of 5 min 04.58 in the 400m individual medley gave him Second place and is just a quarter of a second faster than the previous record held by Grant Halsall.
In the 200m freestyle he finished Third, just 3 hundredths off Second, with 2 min 01.50 to lower his own record. Bielich, who is a sports aid foundation recipient, will be competing in both these events in Aaland, which will be held in a short course (25m) pool.
He also had top six finishes in the 100m butterfly and freestyle and the 200m individual medley.
At the same time, seven local swimmers were competing in the North West Region Age Group Championships in the 50m Commonwealth Games pool in Manchester.
10 year old Ben Kebble was the most successful local swimmer with a bronze medal in the 200m breaststroke, knocking over 10 seconds of his pb with a time of 3 min 19.61.
Ben was also fourth in the 100m breaststroke (1 min 35.84) and fifth in the 100m backstroke (1.23.74), swimming to pbs in these races along with the 200m backstroke (3.04.09) and 400m freestyle (5.35.03).
Charlotte Atkinson was competing in her first major off island event and rose magnificently to the occasion with three top eight finishes in the 12 years age group.
She was fifth in both the 400m freestyle in 4 min 51.02 and 800m freestyle in 10.05.63, and 8th in the 200m backstroke (2.38.01), producing pbs in all these events plus the 100m backstroke where she was 11th in 1.14.78.
Allana Kelly was also in this age group, achieving pbs to finish just behind Charlotte in the two longer distance freestyle events for 7th place with times of 4.53.69 and 10.21.04, and 11th in the 200m freestyle in 2.21.98. Both girls must be contenders for the NatWest Island Games in 2011.
In addition, Guy Davies, 12, came away with a bronze medal for his time of 10 min 56.5 for the 800m freestyle.
Also swimming for the Isle of Man were Duncan Wilson, James Hansford and Mark Copparelli, who all competed well in their events.
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