Twenty four young swimmers from Barnet Copthall Swimming Club have qualified for the National Age and Youth Swimming Championships in Sheffield.

The top national competition in the sport takes place over the next two weeks.

Barnet Copthall coaches Rhys Gormley and Chris Green said: "The National Championships are a chance for our swimmers to reap the rewards of all the hard work, commitment and effort they have put in over the last 12 months. We believe that there is every chance that some of our swimmers will return to London with a medal, and even as national champions."

The swimmers, aged between 11 and 20, will be taking part in more than 70 separate individual events, as well as entering four relay teams. Six of them will be particularly busy at the National Championships, qualifying for multiple events. Madeleine Tichborne, 13, will be the busiest. She will be taking part in nine events.

Yaron Ash, Emily Bell, Charlie Boldison, Poppy Chapple and Oliver Keegan also all have at least five events to look forward to.

Meanwhile, Barnet Copthall Swimming Club recently hosted their last home gala of the season and showed their dominance in the local area. Despite the presence of teams from ten local clubs, Barnet Copthall still dominated, winning nearly two-thirds of all the available medals. In total, Barnet Copthall won 170 medals, 80 of which were gold, 53 silver and 37 bronze.

Yaron Ash (eight gold medals), Aidan Doherty (six golds), Paige Powell (six golds) and Matt Savitz (five golds) were among the most successful swimmers on the day. Head coach Mr Gormley said: "This was the last opportunity of the swimming season for all the club.s competitive swimmers to come together and race, from the youngest nine-year-old, just old enough to compete, to our experienced swimmers, who are just about to travel to Sheffield to compete for national age group and youth swimming honours. "The extraordinary amount of success at the Summer Sprints gala shows the real depth of talent among Barnet Copthall's swimmers.

"This is the time of year when the coaches start to look to the next swimming season and plan to build for more success," he added.

It has not just been the club's youngsters who have excelled in recent weeks.

Barnet Copthall hosted the Masters Distance Swim Meet at the weekend, attracting swimmers from Holland, Spain, Italy, Ireland, as well as top swimmers from all corners of the UK.

The competition saw a total of two European, three British and five Irish records set. Barnet Copthall swimmers did well amid strong competition, with club chairman Mark Reynolds just outside his own British record for the 200m freestyle.

The most notable competitor at the event was 95-year-old John Harrison of the Royal Navy Swim Team who broke the European Record in the 400m freestyle, whilst narrowly missing the world record for the event.

Masters swimming coach Ian Woollard said: "It isn't always about record breakers and gold medals, such is the inclusive nature of masters swimming in the UK that everybody is made welcome and encouraged to train for fitness, fun and competition. Barnet Copthall Masters swimming squad boasts a number of British and European record holders of its own, whilst also having a number of swimmers who have joined the team from the adult learn-to-swim programme at Barnet Copthall pools."