THE dearth of gold medals a week earlier threatened to become a flood as Dorset’s age groupers found the top step of the podium eight times during the final weekend of the South West Summer Championship.

Swim Bournemouth’s Amy Brown and Alexandra Palotai-Avella won four golds between them at Millfield while Max Looker and Claire Stuhlmacher achieved the same combined tally for Poole.

And in the final youth event of the championship, Oli Fairman led another flurry of medals for Poole with gold in the 1500m freestyle.

For Brown, it was a weekend of sweet revenge as she saw off the two girls who had kept her off the top step a week earlier.

In the 14yrs breaststroke, she twice turned the tables on City of Bristol’s Georgia Gussey, winning the 50m and 100m finals in 34.73 and 1:15.29.

And in the 100m backstroke it was the turn of Mount Kelly’s Bella Hodges to collect the silver medal as Brown rose to gold in 1:07.92.

Brown was also second in the 200m individual medley (IM) and sixth in the 100m freestyle.

Palotai-Avella added to her medal collection with gold in the 14yrs 1500m freestyle in 18:10.62 and silver in the 400m freestyle.

Team-mate Harriet Fish won bronze in the 13yrs 1500m freestyle.

Poole’s Looker took his medal tally across the three weekends to nine with gold in the 11-12yrs 50m butterfly (31.53) and 200m freestyle (2:18.22) and silver in the 50m backstroke and 400m freestyle.

He was sixth in the 50m breaststroke and 100m backstroke.

Stuhlmacher underlined her credentials as a distance freestyler with gold in the 11-12yrs 400m and 1500m (4:55.58 and 19:33.69) as well as fourth place over 100m.

Team-mate Alan Szczasiuk joined in the medal-fest with silver in the 14yrs 50m breaststroke and bronze in the 50m butterfly.

Bournemouth Collegiate School’s Tiasha Michelo completed a hat-trick of breaststroke silver medals with second places in the 11-12yrs 50m and 100m finals.

In the 1500m, Oli Fairman posted the second fastest time in all age groups to win the 16yrs regional title by 20 seconds in 16:58.82.

It was his sixth gold of the championships, earning him a £50 voucher as the top boy in his age group.

Poole had three swimmers in the top six in the 17/o 1500m with Thea O’Keefe and Teagan-Mae Graham taking silver and bronze respectively and Kath Baker in sixth place.

Team-mate Issy Hepburn won bronze in the 16yrs 1500m.

At least 12 other Poole swimmers made finals including Robbie Hemmings (three), Ryan Openshaw (two), Charlie Meek (two), Zack Studley (two), Liam Duffy, Amy Gooch, Aimie Quarrie, Holly Harris, Finley Chandler, Carter Stuhlmacher, Zoe Steele and Molly Goddard.

Four Seagulls swimmers achieved top eight places including Lawrence Elliott with sixth in the 13yrs 200m butterfly and seventh in the 50m breaststroke.

In the 1500m, Seagulls’ James Richardson (16yrs), Miles Ward (15yrs), Sonny Chamberlain-Hyde (15yrs) and Emily McWilliam (13yrs) were fourth, fifth, seventh and seventh respectively.

Swim Bournemouth’s other finalists were 11-12yrs swimmers Millie Sleeman with fifth in the 200m butterfly, Freddie Hodgetts (sixth 200m fly) and Jenson Harris (eighth 50m backstroke).

In the 1500m, Lucy Pearce was fourth (17/o), Ryan Symington sixth (15yrs) and Liliana Scoulding-Jon eighth (13yrs).