DORSET will be back in the top tier of inter-county youth swim-ming next year after winning promotion in the Division Two showdown at Sheffield.

Beth Aitchison led the way with a county record in the 100m breaststroke as Dorset grabbed the fourth and final promotion spot behind Devon, Worcester-shire and Suffolk.

The result at the National County Team Championships ends a two-year stay in the lower section since Dorset were relegated from Division One in 2012. The challenge in 2015 will be to halt a yo-yo record that has seen the county relegated four times and promoted five times in 15 years.

Only one of Dorset’s previous five seasons in Division One has ended without relegation.

Aitchison, 17, was involved in both Dorset’s race wins.

The Bournemouth Collegiate School academy swimmer clocked 1:09.23 in the 16-17yrs 100m breast-stroke to slice 0.31sec off former GB international Alex Savage’s Dorset short-course record.

She also recorded 30.99 on the breaststroke leg as she, Jenny Scott (backstroke, 31.95), Madison Kemp (butterfly, 28.44) and Emily Clarke (freestyle, 27.04) won the 16-17yrs 4x50m medley relay.

Kemp achieved one of three second places for Dorset in the 16-17yrs 100m butterfly (1:02.34).

Also second were Izzy Pryce in the 12-13yrs 100m breaststroke (1:14.69) and the boys’ 14-15yrs medley team of Henry Stanbrook (back, 29.17), Luke Roxburgh (breast, 31.53), Jacob Peters (fly, 26.54) and Matt Collins (free, 25.83).

The relays proved productive for Dorset with all but one of the seven teams finishing in the top seven.

These included third places from the boys’ 12-13yrs medley team of Finn Trehane (back, 33.52), Kelvin Wong (breast, 32.87), Christian Tai (fly, 29.32) and Ben Samuel (free, 26.82) and the mixed 6x50m freestyle team of Hannah Stonier (28.93), Samuel (26.44), Jasmine Holmes (27.64), Collins (25.29), Beth Aitchison (26.33) and Zak Aitchison (23.86).

Wong also achieved an individual third place in the 12-13yrs 100m breaststroke (1:11.94).

Fourth places went to Jacob Peters in the 14-15yrs 100m butterfly (59.47) and Ben Samuel in the 12-13yrs 100m freestyle (57.98).

Result: 1 Devon 484, 2 Worcs 446, 3 Suffolk 435, 4 Dorset 430, 5 Wales West 422, 6 Wales East 410, 7 Sussex 389, 8 Gloucs 384, 9 Lincolnshire 354, 10 Staffs 352, 11 Shropshire 335, 12= Cornwall 327, 12= Scotland North 327, 14 Cambs 314, 15 Wilts 299, 16 Norfolk 291, 17 Beds 241, 18 Northants 172.

  •  Oliver Fairman struck gold five times to lead a Swim Bourne-mouth tally of more than 90 medals at the club’s Level 3 Early Season Open Sprint Meet at Littledown.

Jordan Young achieved four victories while Drew McGregor, Okere Omosevwerha and Isabelle Hepburn won three golds each.

Double winners for Swim Bournemouth included Callum McGregor, Abbie Quarrie, Rebecca Cummings and Rachel Hawkins. Gold also went to Tiger Kelleway, Jack Halliwell, Nathan Wickens, Jess Kelleway, Charlotte Kerslake, Amy Brown and Danni Case.

Seagulls’ Max Weeks won all four of his races and recorded a four-second PB in the 200m freestyle. Team-mate Isaac Ellis’s five medals from five events included gold in the 50 and 200m freestyle including a seven-second PB in the longer event.

Ellen Broadfield made it a magnificent seven golds for the Christchurch club when she won the 50 breaststroke.

The meet is aimed at giving young swimmers from the Bournemouth area an opportunity to gain racing experience and gain some early-season times.