Amber is a leading light in Dolphins' triple triumph

7:00am Thursday 4th June 2009

By Roger Guttridge

THREE 11-year-olds each scored a golden hat-track as Bournemouth Dolphins hosted their sixth Junior Level 3 Open Meet at Littledown.

Amber Wells, a member of the host club’s Blandford training group, collected her three gold medals in the 11yrs 50m butterfly, 100m freestyle and 200m individual medley.

She would have won a fourth gold but picked-up a so-called “speeding ticket” for swimming faster than the specified cut-off time.

In the same age group Ferndown Otters’ Elisabeth Hood won the 50 and 200m freestyle and the 100m backstroke.

In the same age group for boys, Poole’s Jacob Lambourne won the 50m backstroke, 50m butterfly and 200m medley.

Two other Poole swimmers twice struck gold – Daniel Monk in the 12yrs 100 and 200m freestyle and Jamie Gray in the 13yrs 100m freestyle and backstroke.

Dolphins newcomer Kiana Hooshmand recorded two wins in the 11yrs age group – in the 50 and 100m breaststroke.

Team-mate Louise Eley was also a double winner in the 10/u 50 and 100m butterfly while Jack Burton won the 12yrs 100m backstroke and butterfly.

Four Ferndown swimmers won two golds each – Emily Fellows in the 16yrs 100m butterfly and 200m medley, Alex Price in the 10/u 50m butterfly and 100m freestyle, Ellen Horner in the 14yrs 50 and 100m backstroke and Zoe Taylor in the 50m butterfly and 100m freestyle.

No less than 11 Christchurch and New Milton Seagulls swimmers reached the top step of the podium, including double winners Megan-Faye Chapman in the 100m breaststroke and 200m medley, Ben Price in the 12yrs 50m breaststroke and 50m butterfly, Christopher Gannaway in the 13yrs 50 and 100m butterfly and Sam Webber in the 14yrs 50 and 100m backstroke.

Eleanor Kerslake led a Seagulls clean sweep of the medals in the 13yrs 50m backstroke with team-mates Sophie Duffell and Megan-Faye Chapman taking silver and bronze.

Other winners (selected local) – Bournemouth Dolphins: 10/u Matthew Lumley 100m fly. 11yrs Jake Meaden 100m back. 12yrs Max Eldridge. 50m freestyle. 14yrs Deborah Cure 200m medley; Rebecca Fish 50m fly.

Ferndown Otters: 12yrs Paige Chasty 50m back; Lucy Kirkham 100m breast; Luke Horton 100m breast. 13yrs Aaron Lee 50m back. 14yrs Shannon Horton 50m breast.

Seagulls: 10/u Elizabeth Fraser 50m free. 11yrs Lewys Thomas 100m fly. 13yrs Sophie Duffell 200m free. 14yrs David Gallagher 50m free; Lydia Witney 100m free. 15yrs Melissa Bennison 100m fly.

Bournemouth-based Judith Cooling came home with six medals after competing in the first European Down’s Syndrome open competition at Southampton.

Cooling, who trains with Ferndown Otters and Reading Cygnets’ learning disabilities squad, won gold in the 200m backstroke, silver in the 50m butterfly and 400m freestyle and bronze in the 25m butterfly, 50m backstroke and 200m freestyle.

The results took the veteran of several Down’s Syndrome World Championships a step closer to selection for the next worl event in Taiwan next year.

Poole-based personal trainer and swimming coach Rachel Light is heading downunder after winning a SkillsActive and Nancy Ovens bursaries.

Light, head swimming coach at the recently-launched Young Athletes’ Training Academy in Poole, fended off competition from 57 other applicants from around the country to win one of the six bursaries.

She plans to spend two weeks in Australia working alongside top coach Michael Bohl, whose swimmers include Olympic champion Stephanie Rice.