SWIMMERS from the City of Hereford Swimming Club were in fine form entering the second weekend of racing at the Worcester County Championships at the Central Baths in Wolverhampton.

The weekend started extremely well as the boys took on the 400m freestyle event, with Laurence Gummerson and Taylor Whitchurch taking the one-two in the 10-year-old age group and Otto Putland taking gold in the 12-year age group. There was silver for Sam Jones in the 16 years and Pat Meggitt took gold and a new record of 4:09.85 in the 17/18yrs.

Louise Griffiths was the only swimmer to pick up a medal in the female 100m breaststroke with silver from the 17/18 years age group. Younger brother Robert Griffiths was then to go on to pick up gold in the 10 years 50m freestyle, with Joshua Darby matching the feat in the 11 years age group.

Lizzie Mason then took up the baton to win the 12 years girls 200m backstroke by 0.02 sec. Kate Tatchell was third of the 16 years girls in the same event.

In the afternoon swims, Mason was in the medals again finishing second in the 400m freestyle, joined by club team-mate Laura Hudson who was third.

Again though, Herefords swimmers failed to pick up gold in the breaststroke events, this time the male 100m where the medals came from Jones (16yrs), silver, and Meggitt (17/18yrs), bronze.

The club finished the first day on a high taking four golds in the male 200m backstroke. Honours went to Robert Griffiths (10yrs), Joshua Darby (11yrs), Ashleigh Powell (15yrs) in a new age group record of 2:17.37 and Meggitt (17/18yrs).

Day two started with Lizzie Mason and Laura Hudson finishing second and third in the 12 years age group 200m individual medley, with Louise Griffiths taking gold in the 17/18yrs - her first ever county gold in an IM event.

In the next event, the boys 100m freestyle, came the outstanding result of the weekend with Hereford swimmers taking the clean sweep of the medals in the 10 year category - Robert Griffiths gold; Laurence Gummer-son silver; and Taylor Whitchurch bronze.

Gummerson and Whitchurch also took first and second in the 200m butterfly, Otto Putland took the 12-year-old title in a new age group best time by more than six seconds, and Pat Meggitt won the 17/18yrs with a new personal best time of 2:12.28.

The final session of the weekend started in familiar tone with Gummerson and Griffiths finishing one-two in the boys' 10 years 200m IM, four seconds clear of the rest of the field. Further golds came from Otto Putland (12yrs) - his 6th National qualifying time, Sam Jones (16yrs) - his first county title and a three second PB, and Meggitt again impressing with victory in the 17/18years.

An impressive 100m freestyle swim of 1:10.61 from Isabella Fox took her to within three seconds of the National qualifying time was followed by some great swims in the girls 200m butterfly with a debut gold for Crystal Cope (10years) and a gold and silver from Charlotte Tully and Claire Griffiths respectively (15 years).

With one weekend of competition to go Hereford, with 25 golds, are currently second behind Stourbridge in the medal table.