Chard & District Swimming Club have more than 40 county qualifiers taking part in the Somerset County Championships being held at Millfield School over four weekends.

Chard swimmers make their mark, with no less than 75 top-eight positions and 135 personal best times achieved.

Twelve-year-old Jamie Porter achieved the club’s silver speed badge by swimming the 50-metres freestyle in under 36 seconds for the first time.

Iain Ross (16) achieved the gold speed badge by swimming the 50-metres freestyle in under 27 seconds.

Medal positions were achieved by six swimmers: Tessa Down (3rd 50m breaststroke, 2nd 200m breaststroke), Henry Taswell (1st 1500m freestyle, 2nd 200m butterfly, 3rd 100m freestyle, 50m butterfly, 100m backstroke), Joss Copeman (2nd 50m butterfly, 3rd 200m butterfly), Xanthe Dyer (3rd 50m and 100m breaststroke) and Esme Huntley (9), who won the 200m backstroke and was third 50m freestyle.

Despite more difficult qualification times for the older swimmers this year, 55 new South West regional qualifying or consideration times were achieved during the four weeks of competition by 14 swimmers.

They were (ages in brackets): Tessa Down (18), Melissa Hanson (18), Hope Horsfield (16), Lewis Pearson (16), Iain Ross (16), Henry Taswell (14), Simon Davis (14), Leo Kindred (14), Joss Copeman (13), Xanthe Dyer (13), Briana Barrand (11), Millie Downes (11), Abi Greenslade (11), Jimmy Brett (11).

This gives the club an overall total of 18 swimmers who have achieved regional standard this season, including those gaining qualification at previous events or for the short course South West regional winter championships:.

They were Hannah Pullinger (19), Joe Spurway (18), Jamie Pullinger (17) and Paul Harrison (17).

Swimmers of the month in February for achieving first-time regional qualifying or consideration times were: Abi Greenslade (11) for 100m butterfly, and shared boys Jimmy Brett (11), for 50m freestyle, Leo Kindred (14), for 100m breaststroke and Iain Ross (16), for 50m freestyle.

In March they were shared girls Hope Horsfield (16), for 50m freestyle and Millie Downes (11) for 200m breaststroke, and Simon Davis (14), for 50m breaststroke.