Senior swimmers from Barnet Copthall Swimming Club enjoyed much success at the top-level Rotherham Metro Swimming Gala.

The club achieved second place in the top club competition, only being beaten by the Loughborough University team which boasts many Olympic hopefuls.

Meanwhile, two young swimmers won the competition for the best swimmer in their age group: nine-year-old Alice Bell and ten-year-old Robert dos Santos. Akari Ishida and Emily Bell were also second and third overall in the 11-year-old age group, with Yaron Ash second overall among 13-year-old boys.

In total, Barnet Copthall swimmers won 22 gold medals, 17 silver and 14 bronze.

Head coach Rhys Gormley said: "Barnet Copthall Swimming Club is now an extremely competitive swimming club, able to travel to top-level events around the country, and win. The swimmers won individual medals in every age category and in every stroke. The aim now is to build on this achievement and success."

Mr Gormley added: "We are all working hard at Barnet Copthall Swimming Club to support the swimmers' development. The coaching team left this gala to embark on a week of intensive warm-weather training in Mallorca with a group of 40 swimmers aged between nine and 20 years. The aim is to maximise their opportunity to succeed in this summer's regional and national championships.

"We are all very grateful for the support that Barnet Copthall Swimming Club receives from the GLL Foundation, which has sponsored the warm-weather training camp. I am certain that without this support and the opportunity to spend time with swimmers, developing their strokes, enhancing their understanding of diet and physiology, and generally working with them to develop a winning mentality, Barnet Copthall swimmers would not continue to succeed."