Dolphins' Danielle receives gifts of gold

3:36pm Wednesday 7th May 2008

BOURNEMOUTH Dolphins birthday girl Danielle Francis got more than the key of the door for her 18th on Monday.

She left Millfield School with four gold medals and six national qualifying times after three sparkling days at the South Western Youth Championships.

Her regional titles came in the 16 and over 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle with times of 2:08.89, 4:27.61, 9:11.50 and 17:42.89.

The last three of these times also made her the fastest swimmer in all age groups.

In the 200m, Ferndown's 15-year-old Zoe Watson was one of two girls in the 14-15yrs final who swam faster than Francis's time in the older age group.

Watson took the gold in her age group in 2:07.32.

The title topped a complete set of medals for the Queen Elizabeth's School student, who also claimed silver in the 800m freestyle in 9:21.32 and bronze in the 400m free (4:34.93).

She looked set for a fourth medal in the 100m freestyle after winning the heats in 59.90 but slipped back to seventh place in the final in 1:01.86.

Ferndown breaststroker Fran Hughes, 15, was favourite to win two golds on her best stroke after reaching a B final at last month's Olympic trials in Sheffield.

But a disqualification for a faulty turn in the 14-15yrs 100m final thwarted her plans.

She still won gold in the 200m breaststroke in 2:39.07 and silver in the 200m individual medley in 2:26.97.

Ferndown's Kim Rowles, 16, added to the south east Dorset medal spree with one gold and one bronze.

She and team-mate Emily Freeman, 17, occupied two of the three medal positions in the 16 and over 200m individual medley, taking gold and bronze respectively in 2:24.97 and 2:27.65.

Rowles also won bronze in the 400m freestyle in 4:33.05.

Dolphins' 15-year-old Martin Littlefair was another gold medalist, winning the 15-16yrs 1500m freestyle in 17:23.29 as well as taking bronze in the 800m free in 9:06.72.

Dorset's male and female 50m freestyle champions Will Harrison and Sarah Meaker followed up their county titles with medal-winning swims in the regional competition.

Harrison, 19, from Bournemouth Dolphins, became South West champion in the 50m freestyle in 24.10 and also took bronze in the 50m butterfly in 26.24.

Meaker, 19, from Poole SC, came second to Plymouth's Emma Wilkins in the 16 and over 50m freestyle in 27.86.

Ferndown's Dominic Macdonald, 16, was twice in the medals, winning silver in the 15-16yrs 50m freestyle in 25.34 and bronze in the 100m free in 55.41.

Bronze medals went to Ferndown's Cathy Close in the 16 and over 200m backstroke (2:26.34) and Nicole Scott in the 16-plus 50m butterfly (29.47).

Charlotte Vatcher and Chris Chamberlain provided Christchurch and New Milton Seagulls with interest in the finals.

Vatcher, 17, was sixth in the girls' 16-plus 200m breaststroke in 3:04.73 while Chamberlain, 15, came eighth in the boys' 15-16yrs 100m breaststroke in 1:17.10.

In the relays, Ferndown took bronze in the girls' 4x100m medley through Close (back 1:09.33), Hughes (breast 1:15.65), Scott (fly 1:05.12) and Watson (free 1:00.16).

Otters and Dolphins finished fourth and fifth respectively in the girls' 4x200m freestyle.

Split times for the Ferndown team were: Marika Rolt 2:13.85, Anne-Marie Taylor 2:15.34, Rowles 2:10.73, Watson 2:13.26 (8:53.18).

Bournemouth splits were: Jasmine McCormack 2:11.65, Lauren Holman 2:17.35, Africa Mason 2:19.94, Claire Hayward 2:19.79 (9:08.74).

• BOURNEMOUTH Dolphins' 11-year-old Amelia Maughan became a national champion when she won the 50m freestyle in the Independent Schools Championships at Crawley.

Her winning short-course time of 26.70sec ranks her 68th in the national women's rankings as well as the fasteste 11-year-old.