ISSY Thwaite won an amazing six gold medals as City of Chester Swimming Club enjoyed a North West Age Group Championships to remember.
The 12-year-old cleaned up at the big annual event but she was not the only club member to impress at the Manchester Aquatics Centre.
Every Chester swimmer who competed over the first weekend of the competition – the second highest level in domestic swimming – achieved personal bests.
Simon Ellershaw made the final of the boys 13 years 200m butterfly with a six-second PB while Harry Fleetwood and Olly Tobin swam big times in their 100m freestyle races.
Olly, Harry and Simon also combined with Matt Breen to produce three excellent relay swims with their most satisfying display resulting in a seventh-placed finish and a PB.
But it was Issy who stole the show. Not only did she win the girls 12 years 100m backstroke and 200m and 400m freestyle, she did so in times that took her to the top of the Great Britain rankings for her age group.
The rising star took that form into the second weekend as incredibly she claimed three further victories in the 100m freestyle, 200m backstroke and 200m individual medley.
Issy, along with Lauren Goodfellow, Lucy Davies, and Hannah Roberts, was also part of the girls relay team which recorded PB after PB and came seventh in the 4x100m medley. Simon, meanwhile, swam two best times in the 100m butterfly and 400m medley.
The impressive results ensured Chester finished in the top 15 – a huge improvement on 12 months ago – and the title of the best performing club in the West Cheshire area.
Chester head coach Lee Holland said: “I am delighted with the results and the way the season is going so far.”
