Nine-year-old Kristina smashes record

IT WAS left to the youngest to set the only new record in the 200m breaststroke event of the NRG Series, staged by the Beau Sejour Barracudas Swimming Club. Nine-year-old Kristina Neves smashed Gail Strobridge's mark, set in 1994, by an astonishing 17 seconds to record 3-29.87.

Very close to Helen Watts' record in the 12-13 years' age group was Victoria Parfit, who posted 2-53.39 - the record standing at 2-52.75. Parfit had a great swim, improving on her personal best by over four seconds.

She has still another year in this age group so certainly looks on target to get this record at some stage.

Jacob Cherry won the boys' title in this age group with a personal best time, by more than six seconds, of 3-02.80.

In the nine-year-old boys' event, there was a very close tussle for first place between Miles Munro and Toby Belton, with Munro eventually just getting the touch by a fingernail, recording 4-05.67.

Titles in the 10-year-old category went to George Moss and Cody Butcher, while in the 11-year-old group, the victors were Luke Belton and Jodie Rawles, the latter improving on her entered time by more than 15 seconds.

Gemma Nicolle was able to hold on to the pace to take the 14-15-year-olds' race in a lifetime best of 3-11.51, while Jeremy Osborne took the equivalent boys' title in 2-45.53.

Fastest times of the day went to Strobridge and Thomas Hollingsworth in 2-50.29 and 2-36.23 respectively in the 16-years-plus category.

The swimmer making the greatest improvement in this event was Isobel Chamberlain in the 12-13 age group. She finished more than 33 seconds inside her entered times.