EAST Dorset's three swimmers at the second UK School Games returned with four medals between them - and it could easily have been five.

Lydia McManus collected a relay gold and an individual bronze at Coventry while her new Ferndown Otters team-mate Chris Campbell picked up a relay silver.

Kim Rowles, from Bournemouth Dolphins, was on course at least to match McManus's tally until disaster struck in the closing metres of the girls' 400m freestyle.

"I was lying second with 50m to go and tried to catch the leader on the last length," she said.

"But I over-stretched my stroke and pulled a tricep. It was very painful and I had to kick the last four or five metres into the wall."

The injury caused Rowles to slip from second to fourth place in a time of 4:36.89, just 0.17sec behind the bronze medallist.

"It's disappointing because I think I'd have done 4:31 and got at least the silver medal," said the 15-year-old.

She still came home with a gold medal, however, after leading off England South's victorious 4x200m freestyle team with a first-leg time of 2min 11sec.

Also in the team were Emily Pollard (Bath University), Charlotte Woolliscroft (Shiverers) and Louisa Farrer-Fisher (Leander).

They recorded a combined time of 8:41.09, almost five seconds quicker than runners-up Scotland South East.

Lydia McManus, 16, followed up her stunning form at last month's National Youth Championships with a bronze medal in the girls' 100m butterfly at Coventry.

Her time of 1:06.80 was much slower than she recorded in Sheffield but that applied to most swimmers at the end of the summer break.

"I have been ill since the nationals and have only trained twice in three weeks," said McManus, who was also the only local swimmer in the inaugural UK School Games last year.

"I wasn't expecting to get a medal so when I looked at the scoreboard and saw I was third, it was a nice surprise."

McManus also won a relay gold medal, swimming the butterfly leg of the 4x100m medley with England South team-mates Kathryn Willis (Bracknell and Wokingham, backstroke), Charlotte Barnes (Bath University, breaststroke) and Farrer-Fisher (freestyle).

Their winning time of 4:26.41 set a new games record and gave them victory over second-placed Ireland by five seconds.

Chris Campbell, 15, swimming his first events since moving from Bournemouth Dolphins to Ferndown earlier this month, joined backstroker Adam Harrington (Crawley), breaststroker Andrew Willis (Bracknell and Wokingham) and freestyler Alex Jameson (St Bede's School) to win a silver medal for England South in the boys' 4x100m medley relay.

"The gold went to Ireland and we finished just 0.06sec behind them," said Campbell, who was happy with his 59.8 on the butterfly leg.

He also came fifth in the 200m butterfly (2:18.6) after standing in for James Houston, who withdrew, and seventh in the 100m butterfly (1:00.64).

"The 200m was won in a time close to my personal best but I hadn't prepared for that and was seven seconds slower," said Campbell.

The Dorset trio's points helped England South to an overall victory against seven other regional teams from across the British Isles.

The UK School Games were launched as part of the build-up to London 2012 to give youngsters experience of a multi-sports event with opening and closing ceremonies, an athletes' village and other trappings.

Many top sports stars were also present, including Olympic track medallists Kelly Holmes and Darren Campbell and Commonwealth swimming champion Ross Davenport.

Chris Campbell said: "It was very sociable and it was good meeting people from other sports.

"There was an athletes' lounge in the Students' Union but you stayed in university accommodation with your team."