OUTSIDE it was minus eight but after battling snow and frost to get to Cardiff, a large Swim Bournemouth team certainly raised the temperature in the city’s 50m pool.
Fiona Hardie and Jaz Holmes led the way with four wins each as the combined Ferndown-Bournemouth squad accumulated 41 medals at the Welsh Capital Open Meet – 18 gold, 14 silver and nine bronze.
For Hardie, swimming under the Ferndown banner pending completion of the clubs’ merger, there was a bonus as she recorded three national qualifying times on her way to victories in the 16/o 50, 100 and 200m freestyle and 200m individual medley. She also picked up bronze medals in the 50 and 100m butterfly.
Eleven-year-old Holmes, swimming for Bournemouth Dolphins, was more than a match for Hardie in medal terms, taking gold in the 11yrs 100, 200, 400 and 800m freestyle and silver in the 10-11yrs 50m freestyle and 200m breaststroke.
Butterfly proved especially productive for the Dolphins contingent with Izzy Frampton taking gold in the 12-13yrs 100 and 200m events and Tess Carter and Danielle Thwaites registering a one-two with gold and silver respectively in the 14-15yrs 200m fly.
Carter also won silver in the 50 and 100m butterfly, 400 and 800m freestyle and 400m medley and bronze in the 200m freestyle.
Jaz Oliver-House added a silver in the 10-11yrs 200m butterfly to her gold in the 400m medley, while Botswana international Adrian Todd struck gold in the 15-16yrs 50m butterfly and freestyle.
Another Bournemouth one-two came from brothers Jack, 16, and 15-year-old Harry Thorpe, who respectively won gold and silver in the 15-16yrs 100m freestyle.
Harry also won bronze in the 200 and 400m freestyle.
Jack Burton (Dolphins) won medals of every colour including gold in the 13-14yrs 100 and 200m breaststroke, silver in the 50m breast and bronze in the 50m butterfly and 200 and 400m medley.
Matthew Collins won gold in the 9-10yrs 50m backstroke and silver in the 100m freestyle.
Katy Hebditch claimed silver in the 10-11yrs 400m medley and bronze in the 100m breaststroke.
Silver also went to nine-year-old Ben Samuel in the 9-10yrs 50m freestyle and bronze to Lucy Kirkham in the 14-15yrs girls’ 50m freestyle.
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