BRIDGWATER swimmer Beth Newton stormed to three gold medals at the British National Swimming Championships at Ponds Forge, Sheffield last week.

The 16-year-old swept aside the competition to take top spot in the 50m, 100m back and 200m backstroke events and be crowned a triple national champion.

Beth began the week with a great swim in the 200m Freestyle heats in 2:04.86 to qualify for the final in fourth Place.

She also finished fourth in the final, with a very well-paced swim to improve her personal best to 2.03.37 – but this was just a warm-up to what was to follow.

In the Backstroke events, Beth swept all aside.

In the 100m, she qualified for the final in third place in a time of 1:04.64 having swum a very conservative first 50m.

In the final, she went out fast in the first 50m in 30.52, the aim was to blow away the competition and use her fitness to hold on to the lead.

This was exactly what happened as Beth held on to the lead to finish in 1.03.08 and secure the gold medal, her first ever National medal.

In the 200m she fared even better, qualifying from the heats in first place in 2:18.17, before taking her second gold, in a time of 2.16.41.

In the 50m, she qualified in third place in 30.53, before her phenomenal underwater phase put her ahead from the start.

Holding her ground and with a powerful finish she secured her third gold medal in a time of 29.78.

Beth’s said: “It was really great to be at the British Championships this week and swim at the top of my game for my main three events and winning 3 gold medals in the 50, 100 and 200 backstroke events.

“The last year has been particularly hard with many hours of continuous training, whilst also in my final year at Haygrove Secondary School sitting my GCSE’s and my grateful thanks go to Paul Ritchie, my coach from Street Swimming Club - without his most valuable input and personal coaching I could not have possibly achieved these results.

“I am really pleased at this point as I have been selected to receive a Bridgwater College BC Sports Performance Scholarship and I have been given a place on the England Talent Programme.

“I would also like to thank TS5C a Somerset based charity who have also helped me with grant aid where funds have permitted.”