SWIM Bournemouth’s Jamie Gray will be heading for his third National Youth Championships this summer after achieving a golden hat-trick at Taunton Deane’s Millfield Last Chance Open Meet in Somerset.

The Bournemouth School sixth former took a break from his A level revision to win the 17/o 50, 100 and 200m backstroke in 28.52, 1:02.32 and 2:15.01.

Even more importantly for him, the 18-year-old’s 50m time qualified him for the national showdown.

He hopes to add to his programme when he swims the 100m backstroke at next month’s South West age groups.

Gray’s hat-trick led a 23-medal haul for Swim Bournemouth – nine gold, 10 silver and four bronze – as well as several regional qualifying times.

Issy Hepburn, 11, won two gold medals – in the 9-11yrs 100 and 200m butterfly in 1:23.22 and 3:07.33.

Jemma Green won gold in the 200m freestyle in 2:11.73 and silver in the 100m in 1:00.93, missing a national qualifying time in the shorter distance by just 0.01sec.

Jess Richens won a medal of each colour – gold in the 14yrs 200m butterfly in 2:28.52, silver in the 100m fly in 1:07.90 and bronze in the 200m individual medley (IM) in 2:32.63.

Two other Bournemouth swimmers also struck gold, Morgan Long winning the 13yrs 100m freestyle in 1:03.35, Harriet Perfect the 14yrs 400m freestyle in 4:43.57.

Matt Collins and Kelvin Wong each won two silver medals, Collins in the 14yrs 100 and 200m backstroke, Wong in the 13yrs 100 and 200m breaststroke.

Silver also went to Danielle Thwaites in the 17/o 100m butterfly, 13-year-olds Izzy Pryce in the 50m breaststroke and Ethan Bell in the 100m butterfly and El Devine in the 14yrs 50m freestyle.

Ella-Rose Bowman, Trevin Michelo and Batian Thorpe respectively won bronze in the 10-11yrs 100m butterfly, 12yrs 50m freestyle and 14yrs 200m butterfly.

  •  Max Weeks was Seagulls’ leading medallist at the COBEXE Open Meet in Bristol’s 50m Hengrove Park pool with seven golds and a silver.

His wins came in the 50, 200 and 400m freestyle (29.67, 2:25.90 and 5:34.74), 50 and 200m butterfly (34.39 and 3:00.12), 50m breaststroke (43.44) and 200m medley (2:49.57).

Team-mate Amy Mills won silver in the 100 and 200m breaststroke in 1:25.73 and 3:02.78 while Kai Weeks came second in the 50m breaststroke (51.84).

  •  Poole’s Leo McCrea won five gold medals from five swims at the National Dwarf Games, which attracted a record 186 growth-restricted athletes to Birmingham.

The 10-year-old also had his picture taken with four-times Paralympic champion Ellie Simmonds, who competes in the same S6 disability category as the Dorset youngster.

McCrea’s wins came in the 50m backstroke (59.71), 100m freestyle, breaststroke and individual medley (2:03.90, 2:40.57 and 2:17.25) and a relay.

He also took part in other sports, including throwing the cricket ball, which he won, hockey, football and curling.