COMPETITORS from Tavistock Swimming Club achieved 33 personal best times, four gold medals, five silver and four bronze at the Torquay Leander Christmas open sprint meet.

The competition was an opportunity for swimmers across all levels to compete on an individual level within their age group, with the club fielding swimmers ranging in age from nine to 25.

Individual strokes were swum  across 50 metre races, with an individual medley (IM) distance of 100m.

Kieran Rookes  took gold in the 13s age group with a comfortable win in the breaststroke, with a personal best time of 34.09 seconds. He also won silver in freestyle, backtstroke, fly and individual medley- achieving a further personal best, of 1min 12.07secs in the latter. He came second in his age group, in the competition overall.

Also winning gold were 19-year old Kirsty Best, with a time of 38.57secs taking her to pole position in the  breaststroke.

Kirsty's brother Michael, 21, also won gold, in breaststroke with a time of 32.83 secs and came third in his IM. Kathryn Stacey, 16, won  freestyle in her age group with a personal best time of 28.63. A further personal best of 1.13.39 saw her take silver in the IM.

Personal best times were also achieved by: Jake France,10,  in free, breast and back stroke; James Anderson, 12,  who was second in free, third in breastroke, fourth in the IM and fifth in his other two events; Matt Edwards,16, who  competed in free, fly,  backstroke and IM.

Youngest Tavistock entrant, nine-year old  Emily Handel, achieved a personal best in backstroke and also swam every other race in her age group.

Gemma Arundel, 10, swam her fastest times yet, in two out of four races she competeted in, as did Olivia Bates, 11. Maddie Handel, 11, who swam all five disciplines, also achieved two personal bests, while Emily Attfield, 12, improved her times in three — also scooping three bronze awards and two fourth places. Sophie Anderson, 14, also beat her existing times in the free, backstroke and breastroke events. Gareth Williams, 25, rounded the medal tally up with bronze in both the men's free and fly and came a close runner-up in the back stroke.

Head coach Martyn Stacey said: 'All our swimmers came back from Torquay with a real sense of personal achievement.'