A talented youngster from Epping Forest Swimming Club won a bronze medal at the British Gas Youth Championships last weekend.

Chloe-Annabelle Ward, 16, took home bronze in the 800m freestyle with a time of 9.51.34 and also gained a place in the final of the 200m freestyle where she registered a one-second personal best of 2.16.62 for seventh.

Ward also swam the 400m freestyle in a time of 4.47.45, coming sixth in her age group. She also had produced a good performance in the 100m freestyle where she stopped the clock on 1.04.14.

A number of Forest’s swimmers also recorded personal bests at the Championships.

Lisa Waite started the weekend off with the women’s 100m butterfly and gained a personal best of more than two seconds with a time of 1.10.27.

Lee Baker then followed with a one-second personal best of 1.03.61 in the 100m backstroke and to complete the first session, Katie Whiffin gained a two-second personal best in the 200m breaststroke, finishing in 2.59.72.

The next session saw the first Epping Forest finalist as Hayden Thomas came sixth in the heats (17 years and over) for the 100m breaststroke (1.10.47) and then sixth in the final.

Thomas then went on to achieve spots in the finals for both the 200m breaststroke where his time of 2.39.31 was enough for fifth place, and the 50m breaststroke where he finished seventh in 31.73.

Both times were personal bests for Thomas and the all-rounder also gained best times in the 50m freestyle (26.40) and 100m freestyle (57.90).

Waite, Whiffin and Baker all had other good swims over the weekend, with Whiffin managing another personal best of 37.53 in the 50m breaststroke and Waite clocking a personal best in the 50m butterfly of 31.47.

Returning to regional competitions was Adam Bond, who secured personal best times in the 50m butterfly (28.72) and 50m freestyle (26.51).

New to regional competitions were Fraser Barclay and Hannah Gillespie in the 15/16 year age group.

Barclay swam the 100m freestyle (59.85) and 200m freestyle (2.11.26), while Gillespie finished the 200m backstroke in 2.39.18.