SWIMMERS from the Warrington Masters club returned from the Swim England National Masters Championships with an astonishing 29 medals - and a European record to boot!

The 4x200m freestyle relay team of Chris Rix, Russ Mason, Mark Jones and Andrew Bennett clocked a combined time of 8mins 48.25secs in the over 200s age group, lowering the previous European mark by three seconds and smashing the British record by 11 seconds.

That was one of five gold medals for Rix in Sheffield as he also won the over 160s 4x100m medley relay alongside Mason, Graeme Atherton and Trevor Eland.

Individually, Rix scooped golds in the 200m and 400m freestyle races as well as the 200m backstroke before teaming up with Mason, Atherton and Phil Woods to win bronze in the over 160s 4x100m medley relay.

Judy Brown had a stunning meet and won a medal in every individual event she entered, including setting a new 50-54 years age group British record to win the 100m backstroke in 1min 11.64secs.

Brown also took home the top prize in the 200m and 400m individual medley races and the 200m backstroke. She took silver over 200m in freestyle and butterfly, bronze in the 800m freestyle and another silver alongside Atherton, Woods and Jackie Carribine in the mixed medley relay.

Jones scooped four invididual medals to go with his relay success, including a gold in the 55-59 years 1500m freestyle.

He also took silver over 400m and 800m in freestyle as well as bronze in the 400m individual medley.

Mason claimed two 50-54 years silvers, the 100m backstroke and 50m breaststroke, and a trio of bronzes in the 100m freestyle and individual medley plus the 50m backstroke.

In the 35-39 years age group, Carribine claimed silver in the 200m breaststroke and freestyle bronzes in 800m and 1500m.

Meanwhile, Gerry Kelleher swam a season’s best time to finish fifth in the 55-59 years 200m butterfly, and Lauren Sanders also topped her previous best time this season in all four of her swims.