HYTHE Aqua Swimming Club's Bethany Dearlove had a brilliant weekend, winning gold at the British Synchronised Swimming Championships and National Age Groups competition.

The Littlestone-based teenager gave spirited performances across the two days of the event, securing her an impressive three medals.

The 19-year-old was arguably one of the hardest-working athletes of the weekend, having swum in four separate events.

Bethany is studying for a degree in maths at Reading University.

She scooped third place in the 18/19 age group figures competition early on Saturday morning and 15th in the British Championships solo event, placing behind eight of the exceptional swimmers chosen for the Great Britain national team who are now centralized at Aldershot and training full time.

Then on Sunday she won bronze with the Reading Royals team and success continued into the day as Bethany and her duet partner, Jenny Godding, fought off a Manchester pair to become the National Duet Champions for the 18/19 year age group with a crowd-pleasing display.

Unfortunately her last event, the British Championships Combination Routine, had to be withdrawn due to illness in the team.

As only three clubs in the whole country had made the qualifying mark for this she would have been destined for a fourth medal.

The championships were held at the GL1 Leisure Centre in Gloucester.