BETH Aitchison is the new England schools record holder after winning the 400m individual medley title at the national Inter-divisional Championships in Bristol.

The 17-year-old from Bournemouth Colllegiate School recorded a winning time of 5:01.53 to slice 1.4 seconds off the senior girls’ record, set by the North West’s Heather Lawson last year.

Aitchison, swimming for the English Schools Swimming Association’s (ESSA) South West Division, also won the 200m individual medley in 2:19.57 and recorded a two-second PB of 58.25 on the opening leg of the 4x100m freestyle relay.

BCS coach Adam Parfitt said: “It’s a great achievement to be selected to represent your division at the ESSA championships but to have a swimmer win two gold medals and break an ESSA record is astounding.”

Aitchison’s brother Zak recorded an opening leg split of 55.7sec for the South West in the boys’ 4x100m freestyle.

  •  Swim Bournemouth’s Dorset 1500m champion Jordan Young won another distance gold swimming for East Dorset Open Water SC at Weymouth.

The 16-year-old took the men’s county 2km title in a time that also qualifies him for the open water event at the National Youth Championships.

Team-mate Lucy Brain came first in Dorset and third in the South West while Rebecca Cummings and Chloe Roxburgh were third and fourth respectively in the Dorset event.

Poole’s 11-year-old Liam Openshaw, making his competitive open water debut in choppy waters, won the Dorset silver medal and the South West bronze in the 11-13yrs 750m race.