SIXTEEN Pershore swimmers attended the Eindhoven invitational international meet in The Netherlands.

Competitors from France, Germany, Belgium, Indonesia and South Africa were also involved at the Pieter van den Hoogenband Arena.

It was mostly about improvement and experience for the Pershore youngsters but leading the medal charge and personal bests was Bella Barry, 12.

She set eight PBs in all her races and clinched the 50-metre butterfly gold in 33.02 seconds and 50m backstroke silver in 37.06.

The other youngsters among the nine and 10 year olds included Nikki English, Emma Taylor, Frankie Barry, Sophie Smith, Tally Brown, Jess English and Philippa Taylor.

Masters swimmers Andrew English and Simon Barry gave it their all in the 50m freestyle and backstroke.

Alex Barry, 13, won five golds and one silver including swimming 29.18 in the 50m freestyle and two minutes 17.34 seconds in the 200m freestyle.

Izzie Cumming, 14, won gold in the 200m freestyle in 2.23.37 and bronze in the 50m butterfly in 33.50.

Alfie Brown, 13, secured silver in the 200m breaststroke in 3.12.67 and was fourth in the 50m backstroke in 30.47.

Emily Drayton, 13, deliver some PBs and was fourth twice and sixth three times before securing silver in the 50m butterfly in 32.76.

Ollie Smith, 12, set PBs as he swam 33.13 in the 50m butterfly and 1.17.17 in the 100m butterfly.

Meanwhile, Pershore won a place in the junior league's September final after topping their group in Division Two with 242 points ahead of Wyre Forest (230), Worcester B (188), Haden Hill (175) and Oldbury (148).

Despite the heat the swimmers performed well in the 33-metre long pool at Halesowen and claimed 21 wins from 51 races.

There were wins for Josh Heeks, nine, in the 66m and 33m freestyle and 33m butterfly, Millie Thomas, nine, in the 33m breaststroke and 33m freestyle, Chloe Barnard, 10, in the 66m breaststroke, Max Murray, 12, in the 66m butterfly and 66m breaststroke, Matt Franks, 10, in the 66m breaststroke, Mia Underwood, nine, in the 33m breaststroke, Esteban Chatron-Michaud, nine, in the 33m backstroke and Frankie Barry, nine, in the 33m butterfly.

Relay victories were claimed by the girls' 11/u 4x33m medley and nine years 4x33m medley and the boys' 10/u 4x33m medley, nine years 4x33m freestyle, 10/u 4x33m freestyle, 12/u 4x33m freestyle, 8x33m canon and 12/u 4x33m medley.

Mia Underwood, Bella Barry, James Heeks, Jess English, Andrew Thorner, Isobel Fairchild, Catherine Rendall-Baker, Jack Porter, Natalija Kelly, Martha Cross and Ethan Stanley also competed.