SWIMMING:

BAY HAUL IMPRESSIVE HAUL OF 17 GOLD MEDALS

Herne Bay Swimming Club made quite an impact at the TYR Development Gala.

Hosted by Thanet Swim Club, the competition took place at Hartsdown pool in Margate.

Bay took 56 swimmers, including 12 involved in their first competitive event, and headed home with a haul of 17 golds, 11 silvers and 10 bronzes. The club’s medals charge was led by 15 year-old Louis Johnson, and Elizabeth

Garlinge and Kayla Daly Valverde, both 12. Johnson and Garlinge both won four golds and a silver in their age groups. The former triumphed in the freestyle over 50m and 100m and in the 50m butterfly and 100m backstroke, and the latter did the 50m-100m double in both backstroke and freestyle.

Daly Valverde won the 200m breaststroke and IM, as well as the 50m butterfly. Bay’s other gold medalists were Chet Holdsworth and Nuri Jivraj de Jong, both 13, Tamzin Mullins and Freya Kemp, 14, and Isabel Barrett and Tilly Compton, 16.

May Wolffe and Amelie Kemp, 15, and Freddie Wright and Ethan Sales, 16, all won silvers. There were bronzes for Beatrix Biagini, 13, and Ruby Hill.

The Herne Bay swimmers taking part in their first gala were: Rafe Young, Millie Allen, Lucy Derbyshire, Maggie Farrell,

Kyra Maclachlan, Paityn Marjolin, Isabelle Mills, Grace O’neill, Lois Seery, Imogen Waller and Merle and Nancy Halliday. Besides Thanet and Herne Bay, the other clubs taking part were RTW Monson, Sevenoaks, Bexley, Faversham, Ashford Town and Folkestone.

■ Herne Bay SC train at Herons pool in Herne Bay and at Whitstable. See www. hernebayswimmingclub. org.uk for details.