Medal mania for Oldham

SWIMMING OLDHAM Amateur Swimming Club came away from the Central Lancashire preliminary age group gala with 94 medals.

After a fantastic team effort, Oldham mustered 45 golds, 23 silvers and 26 bronze.

In the 16 years and over category, Harry Entwistle collected gold in 400m freestyle, silvers for his 100m butterfly, 50m, 100m and 200m freestyle efforts, and bronze in the 50m butterfly.

Ian Martin claimed a pair of silvers in 100m backstroke and 400m freestyle, together with two bronze medals in 50m backstroke and 200m freestyle.

Ash Ratchford bagged silver courtesy of a fine 50m butterfly display, and four bronzes in 100m butterfly, backstroke and freestyle, and 50m freestyle.

Vicky Burgess took silver in 50m butterfly before clinching two bronze finishes in 100m butterfly and 200m individual medley.

Action in the 15 years age group saw Hannah Clegg come away with four golds in the 50m freestyle, 100m breaststroke and butterfly, and 200m freestyle.

Rhiannon Prestage bagged silver in 100m butterfly, while Beth Wolfenden followed suit in 100m backstroke.

Sam Hill won 200m and 400m individual medley golds, and 100m backstroke silver.

Peter Cunningham took gold in 200m backstroke, and two silvers in 100m freestyle and 200m individual medley.

Francesca Chiappe notched five gold finishes in 50m freestyle and butterfly, 100m freestyle and butterfly, and 200m freestyle in the 14 years category. She added silver in 200m butterfly.

There was gold glory for Nicola Farrell in 200m backstroke, in addition to silver in 100m and 50m backstroke, and 50m and 100m freestyle bronze.

Rebecca Lewis won 50m breaststroke gold, 200m breaststroke silver and bronze in 100m breaststroke and 200m butterfly.

Jessica Fullalove came away with a 200m individual medley gold.

Elsewhere, in the 13 years group, Sara Loft’s five golds arrived in 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke, and 200m and 400m freestyle, accompanying a hat-trick of bronze medals in 50m and 100m freestyle, and 100m butterfly.

Olivia Askew collected four golds for her efforts in 50m freestyle and butterfly, 100m butterfly and 200m individual medley.

Bradley Ratcliffe earned gold in 50m freestyle, backstroke and breaststroke, as well as 100m butterfly and freestyle.

He also received silver for his 100m backstroke exploits.


Keri–Anne Payne set a British record in the 1,500 metre freestyle at the British Gas Swimming Championships in Manchester last night.
Heywood-based Payne, whose mum Patricia works as a credit controller in Oldham, lowered Rebecca Cooke's mark by more than eight seconds to 16:08.67.