A YOUNG swimmer from Tottington is celebrating after becoming the Welsh national champion for the second year in succession.

Charlotte Marshall, who is a member of Ramsbottom Amateur Rascals swimming club, finished off a successful season last month by winning the 50 metre backstroke event at the Wales National Pool in Swansea to claim the national title.

Although only aged 14, Charlotte was competing in the 15-year-old category, and won the gold medal in a season’s best time of 31.89 seconds.

The time is a new national record, which means Charlotte has achieved the open-age British national qualifying time on three occasions since January.

In August last year, she was crowned Welsh national champion in the 13-year-old age group for 50m butterfly, and she was happy to return to Wales and once again become a national champion.

In January, she won silver in the North of England zonal meet at 50m backstroke, achieving the open-age British national qualifying time for the first time in that event.

In March she followed this success with further medals at the Lancashire County Championships.

She won silver in both the 50m backstroke, and also the 50m freestyle, along with a bronze medal in the 100m backstroke.

Charlotte has finished the season ranked ninth fastest in Britain in the 14-year-old age category for the 50m backstroke.

This follows on from last year when she was also ranked in the top 10 in the same event.

Charlotte said: “Swimming in Lancashire is the most competitive region in the UK, with Lancashire being county champions for the last 12 years.

“The standard is so high that the 14-year-old swimmer who beat me at the North of England and Lancashire Championships in the 50m backstroke this year swam at the Commonwealth Games at that event, for the Isle of Man, and got to the semi-finals.

“I am extremely happy and proud of what I have achieved this year.” The Bury Grammar School pupil is aware that she has to prioritise her time, but is confident that she can have both a great education, and also a successful swimming career.

Her aim is to be swimming and competing at a high level right through her school years, and she feels that she has the support from her school and family to do just that.