A RECORD 41 swimmers from the Bournemouth-Poole area will be heading for Sheffield over the next two weeks to take on the best age group and youth swimmers in Britain.

For most, the ASA National Age Group Championships, which start on Wednesday, and the National Youth Championships, which start on July 30, will be the competitive highlight of the year.

And 19 of the 41 will be making their debuts at this level.

The qualifiers include 15 Swim Bournemouth swimmers, their biggest group since the club was formed by the merger of Bournemouth Dolphins and Ferndown Otters three years ago.

Of these 15, 10 will be competing at their first nationals and two are selected as relay swimmers.

Senior swimmers Adrian Todd and Martin Bleaken will not make it to Sheffield – Todd will be swimming for his native Botswana in the world championships in Barcelona at the same time, while Bournemouth University student Bleaken has a work placement in London.

Poole are sending 12 swimmers to Ponds Forge, less than last year but still the second biggest qualifying group in the club’s 82-year history.

“We made it clear to our swimmers that qualifying for the nationals is only the first step for this season,” says Poole head coach Robin Armayan.

“Every swimmer has precise targets – times, semi-finals and finals – but also individual strategies and technical challenges that we have set together.”

Bournemouth Collegiate School complete the second year of their swimming academy with six qualifiers and will swim as BCS rather than Seagulls following the split from the Christchurch club earlier this year.

Seagulls, meanwhile, have four qualifiers for the age groups, double the club’s previous record if the BCS swimmers who made up last year’s six-strong group are discounted.

The local contingent also includes four swimmers no longer based in the area – Plymouth Leander’s Jack Burton and Millfield’s Joe Poynter, who train with Swim Bournemouth during the school holidays, Swansea-based Martin Littlefair, who occasionally trains with Poole, and Millfield’s former Bournemouth Dolphin Tom Kingham.

Aitchison, Beth, 16, BCS: A nationals regular since she was 13, she will this year swim the 50, 100 and 200m breaststroke and 200m individual medley at the youth championships. She has progressed well since last year and is hoping to win her first national medal after narrowly missing out on selection for last week’s European Junior Championships.

SWIMMING PROFILES:

Aitchison, Zak, 14, BCS: Beth’s brother is hoping to challenge for a medal in the 100m breaststroke after coming fifth in each of the last three years. He also swims the 200m breaststroke.

Arnell, Jack, 12, BCS: Qualified for the 100 and 200m backstroke at his first national age groups and is hoping to make the final of the shorter event in which he is ranked ninth.

Bleaken, Martin, 20 Swim Bournemouth: The Bournemouth Uni student is qualified in the 50 and 100m freestyle and butterfly but will miss this year’s nationals because of a work placement.

Botros, Andrew, 14, Seagulls: Attending his fourth consecutive nationals to swim the 200m backstroke in which he is ranked 21st.

Burton, Jack, 17, Plymouth Leander/Swim Bournemouth: The 2012 UK School Games champion and national youth bronze medallist will be in the hunt for more medals after a year of training alongside Olympians with Plymouth Leander. His events are the 50, 100 and 200m breaststroke and medley relay.

Brain, Lucy, 14, Swim Bournemouth: Her 14th birthday falls on the last day of the age group championships, making her the youngest competitor in the 400m freestyle at her first nationals. She is also in the medley relay team.

Collins, Matt, 13, Swim Bournemouth: Hopes to be challenging for a medal in the 1500m freestyle at his first nationals in which he is ranked sixth.

Cookson, Stella, 12, BCS: Hoping to reach at least one final as she swims the 100 and 200m breaststroke at her first national age groups.

Esposti, Oscar, 16, Swim Bournemouth: Attending his first nationals for the 4x200m freestyle relay, although he has swum in national schools finals and competed internationally in biathle and biathlon. Targeting individual qualification next year.

Gannaway, Zoe, 12, Seagulls: Qualified for four events on her nationals debut and is ranked 23rd, 15th, 14th and 14th respectively in the 100, 200, 400 and 800m freestyle.

Goldsack, Eve, 14, Seagulls. Making her nationals debut in the 200m butterfly in which she is ranked 30th.

Gray, Jamie, 17, Swim Bournemouth: Would like to make the 100 and 200m backstroke in his second nationals and also goes in the 4x200m freestyle relay.

Green, Jemma, 13, Swim Bournemouth: Hopes to climb the rankings after qualifying for the 400m freestyle at her first nationals by the slimmest margin, 0.01sec. She also swims in the medley relay.

Griffin, Inez, 16, Poole. Making her nationals debut after qualifying in the 200m breaststroke.

Hardie, Fiona, 19, Poole: Now at university in the USA, Hardie made several semi-finals at last month’s British Championships and now attends her seventh summer nationals with high hopes of reaching finals and improving her best times. Her events are the 50 and 100m freestyle, 50, 100 and 200m butterfly and 200m medley.

Hebditch, Katie, 14, Swim Bourne-mouth: Attending her first national age groups for the medley relay.

Holmes, Jasmine, 14, Poole. A finalist in 2010 and 2011, she had to pull out of half her events last year due to illness. She swims the 200 and 400m freestyle.

Kemp, Harry, 13, Poole: Attending his third age group nationals to swim in the 4x200m freestyle relay.

Kemp, Madison, 15, Poole: Attending her first youth championships after two years at the age groups and will swim the 100m butterfly, 100m breaststroke and 200m medley. She will find herself in the younger half of a two-year age band, however, and is targeting a semi-final in the butterfly and PBs in the other events.

Kerslake, Ellie, 17, Swim Bournemouth: The former Seagull makes her nationals debut in the 100 and 200m backstroke. A place in the 100m semi-finals would keep her smiling.

Kingham, Tom, 14, Millfield: The former Bournemouth Dolphin is ranked between 10th and 14th in the 100 and 200m freestyle, 100m butterfly and 200m medley. He will also swim relays.

Lelliott, Jay, 18, Swim Bournemouth: Finals are a realistic target for the multiple Dorset record holder, who swims the 100 and 200m backstroke, 200m butterfly, 400m freestyle and 4x200m relay at his fourth nationals. Also qualified for the 200 and 1500m freestyle and 100m fly but does not plan to swim them.

Littlefair, Martin, 20, Swim Swan-sea/Poole: The former Bournemouth Dolphin goes in the 19 and over 100, 200 and 400m freestyle at the youth championships.

Olenicz, Kiran, 14, Poole: Swam in two backstroke events in 2010 and returns to the age groups for the 4x200m freestyle relay.

Perfect, Harriet, 13, Seagulls: Rapid progress over the last year finds the nationals debutant ranked third in the 200m backstroke and 37th in the 100m back so a medal in the longer event could be a realistic target.

Peters, Jacob, 12, Poole: Making his nationals debut in the 100 and 200m freestyle, 100 and 200m backstroke, 100 and 200m butterfly and 4x200m freestyle relay. High hopes of reach-ing finals and challenging for a medal especially in the 100m backstroke in which he is ranked fourth.

Poynter, Joe, 18, Millfield/Swim Bournemouth: The former age group multi-medallist will be looking to make semi-finals and finals as he goes in the 200 and 400m freestyle, 100 and 200m backstroke and 200 and 400m medley and relays at his eighth summer nationals.

Price, Alex, 14, Poole: Attending his first nationals to swim the 4x200m freestyle relay.

Price, Todd, 16, Poole: The former age groups finalist and member of Poole’s gold-winning medley relay team of 2011, he is attending his sixth nationals to swim the 100m butterfly, in which he hopes to make the semi-finals, and 400m individual medley.

Pryce, Izzy, 12, Swim Bournemouth: Another nationals debutant, she goes in the 100m breaststroke and would like to make the final.

Richens, Jessica, 13, Swim Bourne-mouth: Qualified for her first nationals in the 100 and 200m butterfly and medley relay after joining Swim Bournemouth from Poole in April. Ranked 20th in the 200m.

Samuel, Ben, 12, Swim Bourne-mouth: Swims the 100m freestyle at his first nationals.

Speers, Dan, 16, Poole: Hoping to be back in the medals after winning gold in the UK School Games last year and relay gold and individual silver at the national age groups in 2011. This will be his fourth nationals and he goes in the 50 and 100m freestyle, 100m backstroke and 200m breaststroke.

Tai, Alice, 14, BCS: The S10 disability swimmer and 2016 Paralympic hopeful currently holds one British record for her category and is hoping to add to that as she goes in the multi-disability 50 and 100m freestyle, 100m backstroke and butterfly and 200m medley at the youth championships.

Tai, Christian, 12, BCS: Alice’s brother qualifies for his first nationals in the 100 and 200m butterfly, 200m freestyle, 200m backstroke and 200 and 400m individual medley, and ranked in the top 10 in all six.

Todd, Adrian, 19, Swim Bournemouth: Qualified for the 50 and 100m freestyle and 100m butterfly but has the perfect excuse for not turning up at Sheffield – he’s been selected to swim for his native Botswana at the world championships in Barcelona the same week.

Vides, Naomi, 18, Poole: The Oxford University student and former national age group champion is attending her eighth consecutive age or youth championships to swim the 100 and 200m breaststroke and 200m medley.

Vides, Noah, 16, Poole: Attending his sixth nationals after winning medley relay gold and 100m breaststroke silver with Poole in 2011. The 100m breaststroke is again his event but admits his fitness is not great due to a back injury that has affected his training.

Wong, Alan, 15, Swim Bournemouth: Has won medals of every colour in his four years at national age groups but now finds himself at the younger end of a two-year age band at his first youth championships, where he will swim the 100 and 200m backstroke and hopes to make semi-finals.

Wong, Kelvin, 12, Swim Bourne-mouth: Alan’s cousin makes his nationals debut in the 100m breast-stroke and hopes to make the final.