Camden Swiss Cottage Swimming Club’s Middlesex County gold medalists, back row from left: Yann Divet, Ally Larson, Alexis Lambropoulos and Ella McEver. Front row, from left: Lucas Bohm, Ines Guimond-Beetham, Ava Lambropoulos, Brandon Biss and Donatas Dragasius

YOUNGSTERS from Camden Swiss Cottage Swimming Club proved a force to be reckoned with at the 2019 Middlesex County Youth and Age Group Swimming Championships as they returned home with more than 100 individual medals.

The competition was held at two venues over two weekends, with swimmers aged 10 to 13 years old taking to the short course (25 metres) pool at the Southbury Leisure Centre in Enfield, while those aged 14 and above competed in the long course (50m pool) at the London Aquatics Centre in Stratford.

Among the stars of the show at the Youth event in east London was Ally Larson, who made her presence known in her final County Championships before heading off to Northwestern University next autumn.

The speedy 19-year-old competed in six events, and won every single one of them as she powered her way to victory in the 200m and 400m individual medley, the 100m and 200m butterfly, and the 100m and 200m freestyle.

Donatas Dragasius was in similarly devastating form in the pool, striking gold in the 200m individual medley, the 200m backstroke and the 1,500m freestyle.

The 15-year-old also scooped three silver medals, finishing second in the 400m freestyle, and the 50m and 100m backstroke. He also bagged a bronze medal in the 400m individual medley.

Ella McEver on her way to victory

There were also three golds and three silvers for Ella McEver, 14, who won the 50m breaststroke, and the 200m and 400m individual medleys, while just being pipped to the finish line in the 100m butterfly and the 100m and 200m breaststroke.

Camden’s mighty medal count continued to soar with Brandon Biss, 14, Leo He, also 14, and Alexis Lambropoulos, 15, each adding two golds to the overall tally.

Brandon won the 100m and 200m backstroke, and also finished second in the 400m and 1,500m freestyle. He also finished third in the 400m individual medley.

Leo was Camden Swiss Cottage’s most prolific medal winner, clinching gold in the 50m freestyle and the 200m butterfly, silvers in the 100m freestyle and the 50m and 100m butterfly, and bronze medals in the 200m freestyle and the 200m individual medley.

Alexis was celebrating, too, after topping the podium in the 200m and 400m freestyle, and also finishing third in the 100m freestyle.

There was a medal of every colour for Yann Divet and Oliver Wright. Yann, 16, won the 1,500m freestyle, took silver in the 800m freestyle and collected a bronze medal in the 400m individual medley, while Oliver, 14, won gold in the 50m breaststroke, took silver in the 100m breaststroke and collected a bronze in the 200m Breaststroke.

Para-swimmers Leah O’Connell and Charlie Hyde, who are both 17, each finished with a gold medal. Leah won the 200m individual medley, while Charlie took her gold in the 400m freestyle.

There were also silver medals for: Antoine Divet, 14, in the 50m freestyle; Emilia Magliocco, 14, in the 50m backstroke; Edie McGrath, 14, in the 200m butterfly; Anna Podurgiel, 17, in the 50m butterfly, the 100m freestyle and the 200m individual medley; Georgie Winters in the 50m freestyle; and Grace Wylie in the 100m backstroke.

Ally Larson with the six county championships trophies

Not content with their silver medals, there were additional bronze medals for: Antoine Divet in the 50m butterfly and the 100m freestyle; Emilia Magliocco in the 200m backstroke; Edie McGrath in the 400m freestyle; Anna Podurgiel in the 50m freestyle; Grace Wylie in the 200m backstroke; and Georgie Winters in the 200m Freestyle.

And there were also bronze medals for Lauren Brantley, Alex Chen, Will Chen, Jacob Cohen, Nathalie Lustig, Jackson Olin and Alex Pama.

Meanwhile, at the Age Group Championships, held in north London, Ines Guimond-Beetham and Ava Lambropoulos both put in sensational showings.

Ines, 11, won five gold medals, hitting home first in the 100m and 200m butterfly, and the 100m, 200m and 400m freestyle. She also picked up silver medals in the 50m butterfly and the 200m individual medley, and bronze medals in the 100m individual medley and 200m backstroke.

Team-mate Ava, 12, won the most medals overall, returning home with no fewer than 10 gongs.

She won golds in the 100m butterfly, the 800m freestyle and the 200m and 400m individual medley. She also scooped silvers in the 100m individual medley, the 50m and 200m butterfly, the 200m and 400m freestyle and the 100m backstroke.

Lucas Bohm had an excellent championship of his own, winning all the breaststrokes – the 50m, 100m and 200m – and finishing second in the 50m freestyle and the 100m individual medley. The 12-year-old capped a great weekend by taking bronze in the 200m individual medley.

There was also silver success for Nick Finch, 13, in the 50m and 100m butterfly, and Nik Markov, 12, in the 800m freestyle.

Finally, in the individual competitions, there were three bronze medals for Damian Miceta, 12, in the breaststroke; Erin Andrews, 12, in the 800m freestyle; Charlotte Shaw, 13, in the 1,500m freestyle; and Ksenia Shchepovskikh, 11, in the 100m breaststroke.

Camden Swiss Cottage also showed its overall strength in depth in the team events as they won the boys’ 12-year-old 200m freestyle relay and the 200m medley relay.

The 12-year-old girls’ team proved just as fast by winning their 200m freestyle and the 200m medley relays. The girls’ 10 to 11-year-olds team also won their 200m freestyle relay and took second place in the 200m medley relay.

The swimmers will now focus their attentions towards the London Regional Championships in May.