A KENDAL swimmer has come away from the final round of the North West Regional Championships in Manchester with a set of results to be proud of.

Elliot Woodburn, pictured right, arrived at the venue looking forward to fulfilling his dreams of more success at this level after qualifying for five finals – and won four of them in new Cumbria record times.

It brings his tally this year up to five long course and two short course triumphs at Age Group level.

Club records were also broken and at breaststroke he reigned supreme by adding the 100m title to his 50 and 200m wins.

Elliot opened his account with a PB with a well-judged swim in the 200 Freestyle and then went on to qualify for the 50 Butterfly final with a huge effort.

The final saw him lower his time yet again to give a good account of himself to finish in 8th place. Then began an exhibition from Woodburn that put him in medal winning mode and earned him a place in the record books of the Kendal club.

The 200 Individual Medley requires strength and talent coupled with all round skill at every stroke and Woodburn had it all.

In the heats he did just enough to put himself in third for a place in the Final in 2:28.72 – and he then lowered that time to 2:26.56 with a superb effort to win the Bronze medal.

From then on he was leading qualifier in the 50 backstroke heats and, following a brilliant piece of sprinting just missed gold in the final and settled for silver.

He then took on the 100 backstroke and made another final, this time battling to another bronze.

Finally came the one he really wanted, the 100 breaststroke that would bring him another gold to make a triple.

In the heats he left nothing to chance, with a county record of 1:13.56 to take him into the final as fastest qualifier. Off the blocks in the final he quickly found his rhythm and set a devastating pace – putting himself on the front and staying composed.

Out of the turn he put in another injection of pace and dug deep to take him to the pads to secure that coveted gold medal in another record time of 1:13.44.

Not only is he now a county and club championship record holder but he also won 13 age group competitions to make him the club’s most prolific winner ever – and he has been invited by England’s Amateur Swimming Association to compete in the 13yrs Boys 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke in the British Championships at Ponds Forge Sheffield.

It is a great honour for both Elliot and the club, especially as it is a whole nine years since a Kendal member succeeded in reaching this standard.