Young stars face another tough weekend of competition

THESE are busy days for Tom Hollingsworth and Jeremy Osborne. Last weekend, the Commonwealth Games hopefuls were part of the winning inter-insular team in Jersey and 24 hours later members of the Hampshire squad competing in Division One of the National Counties Championships in the Pond's Forge pool, Sheffield.

This weekend, they are away again, this time in Manchester where they compete for their district in the English Schools National Gala.

It was through their Elizabeth College association that they won selection for that event where they are part of the Division 12 squad. This takes in the best swimmers from the Channel Islands, Isle of Wight, Hampshire and Sussex.

In selection swims, Hollingsworth won the senior boys' 100m butterfly and Osborne the intermediate boys' 100m freestyle.

Brian Allen, head of swimming at the college and also president of the Guernsey Amateur Swimming Association, said: 'This is another excellent opportunity to show the high standard of swimming which is being achieved in the island thanks to the dedication of the schools and the swimming clubs.

'The boys will gain experience of swimming at the highest level in a 50m pool and we wish them all the best.'

Other locals to make the top six in national schools qualifiers and go close to selection were Blanchelande's Christine Hume, Robyn Le Friec, of Ladies' College, and Matthew Butt, from St Sampson's.

Hume was second in the senior girls' 100m breaststroke, Le Friec second in the intermediate girls' 100m butterfly and 100m freestyle and Butt fourth in the junior boys' 100m butterfly.

At Pond's Forge, Hollingsworth and Osborne both won events for Hampshire.

Twenty counties took part and Hollingsworth took the 16/17 years' 100m butterfly title having turned in second place.

He produced a strong second 50 to finish over a second ahead of the halfway leader, Northumberland's Jack Johnson.

Osborne won the 14/15 years boys' 100m freestyle with a lifetime best of 52.73, just shy of the men's senior island open record and a second away from the Commonwealth Games qualifying time.

The two Barracudas swimmers were the only Hampshire team members to win an individual event as the county placed fifth.

Lancashire won for a fourth consecutive year.