Neves clocks up UK title No. 14

SHE is only 12 but Kristina Neves may well have already won more national titles than any other islander.

Last year she bagged nine national age-group swimming titles at Pond's Forge in Sheffield and returning there this week she is carrying on where she left off as an 11-year-old.

On the first two days of the British Gas ASA National Championships the Guernsey Swimming Club starlet won four golds and yesterday followed a fifth with a glorious win over 800m freestyle.

In that event she was in the last heat with all the best 13-year-olds, finishing first 12-year-old and fifth overall in a fantastic time of 9-21.36, which was a 10sec. PB and a new south-east area record, which had stood at 9.28.63.

Her first title of 2009 had come in the 100 freestyle.

A one-second PB put her top qualifier the 100 free final, where she was against some very tall girls.

From the beginning of the race she took a very slight lead, turned on 28.88 and had to really dig deep to finish first in a time of 1.00.63.

In the afternoon session she swum the 1,500 freestyle where she swam in the last heat which is reserved for the fastest entry times.

The Ladies' College student went in with a time of 18-17.13 and from the beginning she did not hold back.

Length by length she was making good progress on her entry time and finished in 17-49.82, a south-east area record for long course by 20 seconds and a personal best time of around 28 seconds.