Swimmers from Largs, Fairlie and Skelmorlie were part of a North Ayrshire team which collected an astonishing 56 medals in a weekend of competition at Auchenharvie.

The team turned 191 swims during the Renfrew Baths Mini Meet on the Saturday and the Junior Meet on the Sunday into an amazing tally of 22 gold medals, 14 silver and 18 bronze – a podium strike rate of better than 1 in 4!

Even more impressive were the 11 swimmers who smashed the entry times for their events and so don’t feature in the medal stats.

Junior coach Alan Dickson was thrilled with the performance of the team: “You work with these kids over a number of years and when you see them racing that validates what you’re doing and I think the future of the club is looking rosy.

“When I see how much it means to them to get that little piece of metal or a ribbon, it’s a reward for all the hard work they’ve put in and it’s satisfying as a coach too.”

One of the youngest swimmers on the team, 8-year-old Emma Binnie, from Skelmorlie, had a remarkably successful day winning 5 medals – 2 golds and 3 silvers.

Among the stand-out performances on the Saturday was Isla Waller from Largs (10) who made the podium in all of her 4 swims with 3 golds and a silver.

The medals kept coming with 9-year-old Sarah Short from Fairlie taking away a gold, a silver and a ‘swam too fast.’

Alan was also keen to highlight the many other swimmers who posted their best-ever times.

“Angus Wark from Largs was one of those swimmers who came from nowhere and knocked it out

The success continued with the Junior Meet on the Sunday with many of the club’s Seniors in action.

13-year-old Jacob Tarran from Fairlie added another 2 ‘swam too fast’ times in his 100m IM and 50m fly.

North Ayrshire ASC enabled the meet to the staged by agreeing to lend their electronic timing equipment – and the expertise of their volunteers in setting up and using it – to the Renfrew Baths club for the weekend.

Renfrew Baths Chairman, Bill Winning, recorded his appreciation: “I would like to Thank NAASC for their fantastic support at the RB mini meet and the RB Junior Meet over the weekend.

“There were some brilliant swims from NAASC swimmers and hopefully some fantastic PB’s.

“The help NAASC has given RB over the weekend and the build-up was outstanding .

“The club should be proud to have such a brilliant group of helpers.”