SEVERAL Stourbridge swimmers have booked their place at both the British and Home Nations Summer Swimming Championships which take place at Ponds Forge in Sheffield later this month.

Admission into the championships is particularly tough as swimmers must be in the country’s top 20 for their specific stroke to compete in the British Nationals or top 40 in their age group for the Home Nationals.

Charley Jones carries Stourbridge hopes in the British Nationals 50 and 100 metres 13-14 age group backstroke. She also competes in the Home Nations 200 metres backstroke.

She’ll be attempting to follow up her gold medal in the 50 metres at the regional finals in Coventry where she also picked a silver at 100 and bronze in the 200.

Withymoor’s Alex Westwood competes in the Home Nations 50 metres freestyle and 100 metres backstroke.

Having dislocated his knee just five weeks ago, 16-year-old Alex is already back in full training.

Jake Morris, who is 14, competes in the Home Nations 50 metres breaststroke, while Nat Dingley, who also represents Loughborough University in addition to Stourbridge competes in the Home Nations 200 metres backstroke.

Emily Bate will be bidding for success at the British Nationals in the 13-14 200 metres butterfly and 400 metres individual medley.

She also contests the Home Nations 800 metres freestyle.

Former Stourbridge swimmer Alisha Stephenson now competes under the City of Birmingham banner and the 14-year-old from Wordsley will be contesting no less than six different events in Sheffield.

Alisha has qualified for the 200 metes butterfly and 200 metres breaststroke in the British Nationals.

She also contests the 100 metres breaststroke, 50 and 100 metres butterfly and the 400 individual medley in the Home Nations.

Completing the line-up is Britt Horton, who has qualified for the British Nationals 100 and 200 metres backstroke.

Stourbridge head coach Alex Thom said: “This is the most number of swimmers Stourbridge has sent to the British and Home Nations championships since 1985.

“The club has been nomadic for a number of years which means we have to train all over the place from Dudley to Halesowen and the Crystal Leisure Centre.

In fact we go anywhere where we can get water time.

“However, the club is in a really good place at the moment and much of that is due to the excellent team of coaches and volunteers who give up their time, especially taking swimmers up and down the country to various open meets and galas so they can obtain this success.”