Olympic torchbearer Jaz Holmes is heading for her third national championships after blazing a trail of her own at the Portsmouth Easter Swim Festival.
The 13-year-old from Poole SC thought all her Easter eggs had come at once as she claimed:
• four national qualifying times
• two gold medals
• three silver medals
• one bronze medal
• five club records
• 11 personal best times.
She also moved into the top 10 in the British 13yrs rankings for four events, including fifth and sixth in the 400 and 200m freestyle.
Poole coach Robin Armayan said: “Jasmine was on fire. She swam best times in every event.”
Holmes, one of 10 Bournemouth School for Girls pupils who will be running with the Olympic Flame in July, opened her account with a time of 9min 27.26sec in the 13yrs 800m freestyle.
The time booked her ticket to the ASA National Age Group Championships in Sheffield later that month and she went on to add the 100, 200 and 400m freestyle to her Ponds Forge programme with times of 1:01.48, 2:11.04 and 4:32.97.
Her gold medals came in the 200 and 400m freestyle, silver in the 50 (29.41), 100 and 800m freestyle and bronze in the 200m individual medley in 2:32.92 – a 12-second drop on her 2011 PB.
The 13yrs 100m freestyle final turned into a thriller as Holmes and team-mate Maddy Kemp went head to head.
Holmes, who joined Poole in September, set a 13yrs club record to qualify fastest from the heats in 1:01.60 with Kemp third in 1:01.98.
In the final, both went inside the new record as Kemp led a Poole one-two in 1:01.41, just 0.07sec ahead her club-mate.
Poole’s Naomi Vides, 17, won a hat-trick of gold medals in the 50, 100 and 200m breaststroke (35.44, 1:15.46 and 2:42.96) and added to her nationals programme with a bronze-winning 200m medley time of 2:26.14.
Noah Vides doubled his nationals programme with a 200m breaststroke time of 2:32.78, winning silver in that and the 15-16yrs 50m breaststroke (30.96).
Georga Harrison showed maturity beyond her 12 years to win the 13/u 200m butterfly final in 2:40.03.
“I told Georga she could win if she agreed to go slower in the first 100m,” said Armayan.
“You should have seen her face! Then I told her to give it all in the third 50m and hold the pace if possible in the final 50m.
“She did exactly that, going three seconds slower in the first 100, swimming a huge third 50 to move up to second, then winning by 0.13sec after being 10 metres behind at 100m. She raced very smart.”
Gold also went to Fiona Hardie in the 14/o 50m butterfly (28.67) and Todd Price in the 15-16yrs 400m medley (4:50.99). Silver went to Harry Kemp in the 12yrs 200m and 400m medley (2:38.46 and 5:32.46) and bronze to Hardie in the 100m backstroke in a national qualifying time of 1:07.36, Jessica Richens in the 400m medley (5:45.09) and Dan Speers in the 14/o 100m breaststroke (1:10.36) and, in club record times, the 200m medley and freestyle (2:15.05 and 2:01.00).
Swim Bournemouth’s Jack Simpkins struck gold three times, winning the 13/u 200m freestyle by 0.01sec in 2:08.11 and the 100m freestyle (58.05) and 200m backstroke (2:24.06).
He was also second in the 1500m freestyle (18:25.19).
Team-mates Jasmine Oliver-House and Lucy Kirkham both won silver in the 800m freestyle in 10:08.23 and 9:31.41 respectively.
Seagulls’ Andrew Botros was the busiest swimmer in Portsmouth, swimming 18 heats and finals and making the top eight in nine events.
Along the way he recorded 10 PBs and won silver medals in the 13/u 100m freestyle (1:01.94), 200m butterfly (2:34.86) and 400m medley (5:19.62), and bronze in the 200m backstroke (2:28.63).
Maisie Gormley picked up a brace of bronze medals in the girls’ 13/u 50m and 100m backstroke (33.55 and 1:10.33).
Other finalists – Swim Bournemouth: Jordan Young 5th 1500m freestyle; Katy Hebditch 7th 800m freestyle.
Seagulls: Ellie Kerslake 6th 50m backstroke; Cianan Mann 6th 50m butterfly; Leana Galton 7th 100m backstroke; Emma Garland 8th 100m backstroke.
Poole: Maddy Kemp 4th 100m breaststroke; Jacob Peters 5th 200m fly; Alex Price 6th 200m breaststroke, 8th 100m breaststroke; Katie Mills 7th 50m freestyle 8th 200m freestyle; Harry Kemp 8th 100m backstroke; Todd Price 8th 200m fly.
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