CLYDEBANK Synchronised Swimming Club has won the Scottish Synchronised Swimming age group and national open championships for the first time in 12 years.

They were guided to their outstanding achievement by head coach Linda Atkinson, and were thrilled to lift the much-coveted Avril Dempster Trophy – in memory of a past coach at the club.

The UK-wide event attracted 12 teams who travelled from as far afield as Nairn, Edinburgh, Gateshead, Grangemouth, Rugby, Portsmouth, Swansea and Bristol.

The prestigious event took place over two days at Drumchapel Swimming Pool, which hosts the championships annually.

There were successes throughout the age groups for the new Scottish champions, with the team performance resulting in them winning the overall Scottish Open title.

Emily Gill, 11, and 12-year-old Charlotte Cavanagh were first up, winning the silver medal in the duet event, which also placed them as runners-up in the Scottish 12 and Under duet event.

They were followed onto the rostrum by 14-year-old Tabitha Steven, who won both silver in the Scottish figures event and in the Scottish 13-15 age group solo competition

Tabitha Steven, 14, Gabriella Smart, 14, Lana Wallace, 14, Lara Ptolomey, 15, and Jessie Wallace, 15, won the bronze medal in the 13-15 age group team event.

In the junior section. 16-year-old Kirsten McEwan picked up the silver medal in the Scottish figures competition and silver in the Scottish junior age group solo event.

Rachel Harper, 17, was presented with the bronze medal for her marks in the Scottish figures event and bronze in the Scottish junior solo competition.

Kirsten and Rachel won the Scottish junior duet to be crowned Scottish champions. They were presented with the the Neilson Plates.

In the senior section 23-year-old Anais Royer won the Scottish senior championship with team mate Ailish Douglas, 18, winning the silver medal as runner-up.

But the club’s crowning glory came in the overall team event as Anais Royer, Carmel Connelly, Niamh Reilly, Tabitha Steven, Kirsten McEwan, Gabriella Smart, Rachel Harper and Ailish Douglas won the Scottish combination team championship and the Avril Dempster Trophy.

Linda, who was assisted in her coaching duties by Anne Kane and Elizabeth Bowman, told the Post: “This was especially satisfying as Avril Dempster was a coach many years ago at Clydebank Synchro and it is the first time the club has won this award since it was incepted.

“Her husband, Peter Dempster, still coaches our swimmers in the swimming section of the club.”

Clydebank Synchronised Swimming Club is a section of Clydebank ASC, founded in 1902, when no mixed bathing was allowed. But it wasn’t until 1962 that Synchro was brought to the swimming club by Mary Black.

Both Mary and Avril Dempster ran the club for many years, and have made it one of the most successful in the country.