SARAH Eaglesham enjoyed a remarkable debut swim for Great Britain at the European Junior Swimming Championships in Belgrade.

The 15-year-old City of Chester Swimming Club star smashed the club record twice in the 50m backstroke and swam her second quickest ever time in the 100m backstroke to finish 12th overall.

Wirral Grammar School pupil Sarah recorded times of 30.7 seconds in the heats of the 50m only to better it by 0.4s in the semi-finals before swimming her second ever quickest time of 107.1s in the 100m format of the event.

Her club coach, Barry Healey, said: “We’re over the moon.

“At the start of the year we never thought she would qualify for the championships never mind finish in the top 16. To be the 12th best in Europe is an unbelievable achievement.”

Members of Chester Swimming Club have been having a successful time, with Will Slater starring at the Welsh National Age Championships. The 13-year-old won gold in the 400m freestyle, bronze in the 800m freestyle and silver in the 100m breaststroke, 200m and 400m individual medley.

Alex Slater, 11, recorded personal bests in five of the six events at the same championships.

Alice Little swam an outstanding 100m breaststroke at the Youth Age Group Nationals in Sheffield, qualifying for the semi-finals and final. She is now ranked fifth in the UK in the 16-year-old girls age group.

Alice Howarth, 13, broke her personal best in the 100m backstroke at the Youth Nationals, while newly-crowned Cheshire Senior Open Water Champion Gillian Bentley is set to swim the 2k Open Water National Championships in Nottingham.

Chester Swimming Club members will rest up for a few weeks before preparing for the English Schools Championships in Everton at the end of September.