SWINDON Tigersharks Swimming Club returned from the South West Regional Championships with a host of medals after a successful showing in Plymouth.

After winning the Wiltshire Winter League for the second year running and fresh off the back of a motivational meeting with the club’s two-time Olympic silver medallist Jazz Carlin, Tigersharks travelled to Devon full of confidence.

Taking their largest team to the competition for many years, expectations were high as swimmers sought to be in the mix for finals, medals and national qualification slots in the rankings.

Tigersharks’ forte has often been the distance freestyle events – and this was again the case in Plymouth.

Erin Shewchuk and Emily Preedy won gold and silver in the 16 years 800m freestyle in a close race.

Preedy also narrowly missed out on gold in the 400m as she claimed another silver medal, with Shewchuck narrowly off the podium in fourth.

In the 15 years age group, Caitlin Gulliver won bronze in the 800m freestyle and the trio then teamed up with Gabriella Doughty to take a bronze in the 4x200m freestyle relay.

The team are currently waiting to find out if they will be invited to the British Nationals.

Gulliver added another bronze medal in the 200m freestyle, with Preedy also making the final.

Not to be outdone, her sister, Emilie Gulliver, won bronze in both the 400m individual medley and 100m breaststroke as well as making the final in the 50m breaststroke.

Outside the medallists, Poppy Turner produced a determined swim in the 200m butterfly final to come away in fourth place. She matched that position in the 50m butterfly when dipping below the 30-second barrier for the first time.

Doughty produced a big PB to place fourth in the 100m backstroke, this coming after she was sixth in the 50m backstroke and ninth in the 50m freestyle. Doughty was joined in the backstroke final by Sophie Walker, who also produced a long course PB to qualify.

Oliver Kocharski excelled in the 200m butterfly with a huge PB for sixth in the 15 years age group.

Tigersharks’ finalists were completed by Ed Smith and James Andrew who finished fifth and eighth in the 200m breaststroke.

As well as the older swimmers, members of the club’s younger age groups also ventured down to Plymouth to compete in the 800m freestyle where Jess Smith, Freddie Logan, Ryan Sheahan, Janes Trevithick and Neve Porton all produced PBs.