Danielle Robinson from the Newburn club struck gold in the 100m backstroke at the ASA National Age Group Swimming Championships at Sheffield. The 12-year-old youngster led from the start but came under strong pressure in the last 25 metres and showed a lot of character to fend off the attack to win in 1-07.18. Earlier Danielle just missed out on the medals in the 200m backstroke, finishing fourth in 2-26.35. It has been medals of all colours for Newburn so far this week with Jessica Thielmann taking silver and bronze in the 11 years event. In a desperately close finish the youngster was just edged out of the top place in the 400m freestyle with 4-41.18. In another very close finish, Jessica again grabbed a medal, this time bronze, in the 200m freestyle after boldly taking the race by the horns and leading for the first three quarters. Thielmann's bronze came in 2-15-68. In the same session, Jessica was fifth in the 400m individual medley with 5-23.95. Another bronze came Newburn's way through Oliver Schmid in the 13 years 100m butterfly with 1-03.47. Ryan Walsh from Derwent-side, swimming under the Durham Aquatics banner, took bronze in the 12 years 200m butterfly in 2-28.20 after finishing seventh in the 100m event with 1-08.86. Newburn's girls 4 x 100m freestyle team came home just outside the medals in fourth place with 4-11.72 through Danielle Robinson, Jessica Thielmann, Harriet Franks and Olivia White. City of Newcastle Boys were the area's only representatives in the 4 x 100m freestyle team and improved from heat to final to finish fifth in 3-53.75 through Chris Knight, Chris Streener, Alex Smith and Valentin Kokorin. Andrew Learmouth (City of N/cle) came home seventh in the 100m breaststroke for 12 years in 1-18.95. Alex Smith (City of N/cle) made his first national final in the 14 years 200m backstroke finishing seventh in 2-19.95 with clubmate James Welford, also in his first national final, placing 10th in the same age group 100m butterfly in a personal best 1-02.31. Tynemouth's Catherine Oldham, also under the Durham Aquatics banner, finished eighth in the 11 years 100m backstroke with 1-15.26. Another City of Newcastle swimmer, Eve Mackey, was a double finalist in the 13-year-old event, finishing ninth in the 200m backstroke with 2-29.66 and 10th in the 100m event with 1-10.15. Joshua Crowther from Newburn also made his first national final appearance in the 13 years 200m backstroke, finishing ninth in 2-24.87. | 
