BASINGSTOKE Bluefin performance squad swimmers Adam Milne and Mitchell Coombes took part in the British Championships, which for the first time since the Olympic trials of 2012 were held at the Aquatics Centre in London.

Swimmers were vying for places on Team GB to compete at the World Championships in Russia, as well as the European Games and the European Olympic Festival.

Milne swam in the 100 metres backstroke and after 15 metres led the way on his way to a season’s best time of 59.51 seconds, which was agonisingly close to his lifetime best of 59.11.

His second race was in the 100m butterfly, and he powered through to a lifetime best of 56.89, which hopefully will be enough to secure him a place as a qualifier for the British Summer Championships in July.

Coombes swam in the 200 metres breaststroke event and returning from illness produced an excellent time of 2min 33.48sec.

The time he was shy of his lifetime best of 2:29.70, but considerably faster than his performance at a previous meet, which is a great indication he is on his way back to full fitness.

A team of the Bluefins swimmers carried on their good form at the annual Ealing Level Three spring meet, picking up 45 medals in total including 15 golds, as well as numerous personal best times.

Individual highlights were Mairead Barker (four golds and a silver), Hayleigh Kendall (three golds and four silvers), Harry Deller-Merricks (two golds, a silver and two bronzes), Megan Barker (two golds and a silver), James Symons (one gold, two silvers and a bronze), Katherine Deller-Merricks (a gold, a silver and a bronze), Aaron Hardy (a gold and three bronzes), as did Graeme Richardson, who also achieved the base South East Regional qualification times in the 100 and 200m Butterfly.

Three Bluefin swimmers George Allen, Scott Howe and Ciaran Kelly took part in the Special Olympics Eastern Regionals at Hatfield.

Allen swam in his first-ever 100 metres intermediate medley and looked really strong on the backstroke leg as he finished fourth in his heat.

Howe also competed in the 100 intermediate medley and finished second in his heat, while Kelly achieved a personal best in the 200m freestyle as he came second in his heat.