WHAT should have been one of the greatest days in Poole SC’s 80-year history ended in controversy and confusion after a day of appeals and protests at the ASA National Age Group Championships in Sheffield.

Three days later Alan Wong, Noah Vides, Todd Price and Dan Speers still don’t know whether they are national age group champions – despite winning the 4x100m medley relay final by over two seconds.

Poole coach Robin Armayan described the last day of the age groups as one of the worst of his life – and by far the worst of his coaching career. “It was a nightmare,” he said.

The row centred on the submission of team-sheets listing the names of relay swimmers.

Armayan says he stapled together the names of all three Poole teams and handed them to officials on day one of the championships.

But by the fifth and final day, the sheets for the two medley relays had apparently been mislaid.

And by the time Armayan became aware of the problem, both Poole’s girls’ and boys’ medley teams had been disqualified for failing to submit the forms on time.

After much poolside wrangling, both teams were allowed to swim the heats under protest from rival teams.

The girls’ team of Emily Clarke, Sophie Eaton, Maddy Kemp and Jade Norman improved on their ranking to finish 22nd in 4:51.09.

But the boys won the heats in 4:08.06 with splits of 1:02.75 from Wong on backstroke, 1:09.06 (Vides, breast), 1:00.86 (Price, fly) and 55.39 (Speers, freestyle).

Both teams were again disqualified before being reinstated two hours later when a jury of appeal agreed there was evidence the team-sheets had been submitted and lost in the ASA office.

Cheered on by supporters who had left Poole in a mini-bus at 4am, the boys then stormed to victory in the final in 4:07.16 with Speers surging past the Stockport swimmer on the anchor leg to record an impressive split time of 54.44.

But the final was also swum under protest with no result declared and no medal presentation.

Armayan said: “The ASA have said it could be days before it’s resolved.

“It’s so frustrating because we haven’t done anything wrong. It’s quite simple – they lost my forms.

“I feel especially for the boys. They’ve worked so hard and done so well and were caught up in a situation that had nothing to do with them.

“But I think the pressure has made them stronger and brought them closer as a team.”

Earlier, both Speers and Vides won Poole’s first national medals for at least 16 years.

Speers won silver in the 14yrs 200m breaststroke in 2:29.29 with Vides seventh in the same final in 2:33.43 – both four-second PBs.

Three days later roles were reversed with Vides taking the 100m breaststroke silver in 1:09.10 with Speers sixth in 1:10.41.

Speers also made the 100m freestyle final, finishing 10th in 56.78 (heat 55.80).

Eight PBs took nationals debutant Harry Kemp to six finals in his seven events, coming fifth in the 11yrs 100m butterfly (1:13.96), sixth in the 200m backstroke (2:36.33) and 400m individual medley (5:35.97), seventh in the 100m backstroke (1:13.12), ninth in the 100m freestyle (1:05.53) and 10th in the 200m freestyle (2:20.67).

Maddy Kemp, also making her debut, missed the 13yrs 100m butterfly final by 0.4sec as she came 13th in 1:07.73.

Just minutes before the medley relay, Todd Price came 10th in the 14yrs 400m individual medley final in 4:54.03.

He was also 15th, 16th and 17th respectively in the 100m butterfly (1:01.46) and 200 and 400m freestyle (2:02.92 and 4:20.10).

A back injury forced Alan Wong to pull out of his individual events and the 4x100m freestyle relay.

Vides replaced him and he, Price, Speers and Dan Monk made the final, finishing eighth in 3:52.82.

Armayan said: “I can’t believe how successful we were – 13 finals, two or three medals and 23 PBs not including Monday’s relays. The training programme worked well.”

Swim Bournemouth’s Jasmine Holmes made the top 10 in two events, placing ninth in the 12yrs 800m freestyle (9:49.40) and 10th in the 200m freestyle final (2:18.90).

She was also 15th in both the 100 and 400m freestyle (1:03.73 and 4:50.44).

Jamie Holmes came 16th and 18th in the 13yrs 100 and 200m breaststroke in 1:17.33 and 2:45.33.

Seagulls’ Andrew Botros made the 12yrs 200m butterfly final, finishing 10th in 2:37.98.

He was also 17th in the 100m fly (1:09.50) and 27th in the 200m backstroke (2:36.17).

• Video of Poole’s medley relay final (lane 4) can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGGXVgTO6lY&feature=player_profilepage