DORSET'S oldest continuously-run swimming club will be making its debut at the Dorset County Championships this weekend – 122 years after it was launched in the same town.

Six boys and two girls from Bournemouth SC are among almost 450 swimmers who have entered the championships, to be held at Littledown over the next two weekends.

The club was formed in 1889 but until about three years ago it was affiliated to Hampshire ASA rather than Dorset so any of its swimmers who competed at county level did so in the Hampshire Championships.

“We are really pleased to see Bournemouth SC swimmers joining in this year’s county championships for the first time and we hope to see more of their swimmers at the development competition in July,” said Dorset ASA secretary Di Gibbs.

She added: “It’s thanks to Karen Yendole, who started her swimming career at Bourne-mouth SC and has galvan-ised the swimmers into action.”

Yendole, one of the last two Bournemouth SC swimmers to compete in the Hampshire Championships in 2003 and now the youngsters’ swimming teacher, said: “Most of these kids have managed to get qualifying times for the Dorsets from one session a week and in a few cases two sessions.”

Coincidently, Yendole herself is swimming in the championships for her other club, Poole.

Unusually, the county championship debutants already boast a swimmer who has already won a medal at national level.

Barney Fry was in the Bournemouth School junior boys’ team which came third in the medley relay at the English Schools Championships in Stockport earlier this month.

Fellow debutant Lindon Jacey is extending a family connection dating back about 60 years – his dad Mark Jacey and grandfather John Jacey also swam for Bournemouth SC. The 445 swimmers in the championships will be representing 12 clubs, the same number as last year.

But for the first time since 1978 there will be no representation from Ferndown Otters.

Swimmers from the old Ferndown and Bournemouth Dolphins clubs will be competing in the championships as Swim Bournemouth for the first time following their merger.

Two of the stars of previous championships will also be swimming.

Dorset record holder Martin Littlefair, now based at British Swimming’s Intensive Training Centre at Swansea, is swimming the 200m freestyle as part of his preparations for the British Championships a few days later.

And Chris Campbell, who holds a string of county records set with both Dolphins and Otters, is taking a break from his medical studies at Cardiff to turn out for his original club, Seagulls.