WORCESTER Swimming Club are sending a record number of competitors to the British and Home Nations Summer Championships.

Twelve have qualified for the prestigious events after achieving top rankings and will face the country’s best age-group swimmers.

Olivia Fletcher, Lucy Clayton and Will Gearey head to the British Swimming Summer Age Group Championships at Ponds Forge, Sheffield, from next Tuesday.

Rio Paralympic 100-metre breaststroke silver medallist Rebecca Redfern and her brother Matthew have also qualified for several multi-classification events.

Fletcher will swim in the girls’ 15 year 100m and 200m freestyle, 100m backstroke, 50m breaststroke and 200m individual medley.

She has produced several notable recent performances including breaking the 200m IM junior county record and winning several West Midlands Championships medals.

It will be Fletcher’s first appearance at the British competition.

Gearey, who competed last year, goes in the boys’ 13 to 14 year 50m, 100m and 200m freestyle and 50m and 100m butterfly.

He reached the 50m butterfly final last year but his best opportunity to win a medal is likely to be the 50m and 100m freestyle.

Gearey won 15 golds at the Worcester County Championships and multiple titles at the West Midlands competition.

Club captain Lucy Clayton has appeared at the top level before and the breaststroke specialist will target the girls’ 17 to 18 year 50m final.

She won several gold medals this year at county and regional level.

Rebecca Redfern will compete in her Paralympic event alongside the 50m and 100m freestyle and 200m IM in the S13 category for the visually impaired.

Matthew Redfern has fought back from a serious injury to qualify for the championships for a second time, having broken his arm in late 2016.

He put lots of time in outside the pool and will race in the 50m and 100m freestyle and 100m backstroke.

Worcester men’s 17-plus 4x100m freestyle relay team of Anthony Redfern, Robin Williams, Alex Westwood and Sam Hall qualified but will not take up their place this year.

Megan Annis, Charlotte Hall, Daniel Day, Harvey Lloyd and Sam Hall have all made the ASA Home Nations at Sheffield from August 2.

Annis, Day and Lloyd will make their debuts at the level.

Annis has qualified in the girls’ 13 to 14 year 50m butterfly and 50m backstroke.

Day will be one of the youngest competitors in the boys’ 13 to 14 year group, going in three backstroke events over 50m, 100m and 200m.

He is one of the fastest qualifiers and dominated at the regional championships.

Lloyd has made rapid progress over 12 months to reach the boys’ 16 year 100m breaststroke event.

Charlotte Hall, who made the Home Nations in 2016, will swim in the girls’ 16 year 50m butterfly while older brother Sam, who has won medals at the championships in the last two years, tackles the boys’ 17 year 100m breaststroke.

Gearey will also compete in the 100m and 200m backstroke and 200 IM with Fletcher heading to the the Welsh Home Nations in Swansea for the 50m freestyle.

Williams also qualified for the 100m butterfly at the English Home Nations and Anthony Redfern for multiple events at the Welsh version but neither will be racing.

Worcester head coach Mark Stowe said: “Qualification for national championships is only ever achieved through hard work and dedication.

“I’m delighted so many Worcester swimmers who have consistently demonstrated their commitment week in week out to training will be competing at Sheffield and Swansea this year.”