WIMBORNE'S Dumpton School has a national champion for the second year running after Robbie Hemmings struck gold in convincing style in Sussex.

The 12-year-old finished more than a second ahead of his nearest rival in the u/12 25m butterfly at the swimming championships for prep schools.

Hemmings, coached by Poole Swimming Club, arrived at the Independent Association of Prep Schools Championships in Crawley’s K2 pool as top seed, boasting a personal best time of 14.11sec.

He lowered that to 13.84 to win the heats, then improved again to win the final in 13.75.

It is the second year running he has won gold. Last year he broke the championship record to win the u/11 50m backstroke.

Hemmings joined Ringwood twins Will and Ollie Squires and Henry Ward from Bournemouth to help Dumpton to 10th place in the u/12 4x25m freestyle relay.

Dumpton’s 10-year-old Georgina Hawkins, who trains with Swim Bournemouth, made the u/10 25m freestyle final, finishing sixth in 15.63.

• Oli Fairman stormed up the British rankings by leading a 15-medal haul for Swim Bournemouth at the Portsmouth May Madness Meet.

The 14-year-old Dorset junior champion sliced six seconds off his previous best time to win the 15yrs 400m freestyle in 4:20.59.

The time elevated him to 24th in the national rankings for boys who will be 15 by the end of the year.

With a December birthday, he is one of the youngest in the age group.

Swim Bournemouth’s Callum McGregor and Issy Hepburn also struck gold.

McGregor powered to victory in the 17/o 200m butterfly in 2:19.57, then lowered his PB by three seconds to 2:38.76 to win silver in a 200m breaststroke in which team-mate Kelvin Wong swam 2:39.63 to claim bronze.

Wong added a second bronze in the 100m breaststroke with a time of 1:10.50.

Hepburn’s gold came in the 15yrs 200m individual medley in 2:32.85.

She also won bronze in the 100m and 200m breaststroke in 1:19.43 and 2:52.76 respectively.

Abby Manns claimed silver in the 16yrs 100m and 200m breaststroke events, recording respective times of 1:19.97 and 2:51.02.

Fran Gallimore made three visits to the podium, winning silver in the 16yrs 100m freestyle – with a swim of 1:06.29 – and 200m backstroke events, and bronze in the 50m backstroke in a time of 33.23.

Ollie Cleal won silver in the 15yrs 100m freestyle (59.38) and bronze in the 50m freestyle (27.20).