The Telkom SA National Age Group Swimming Championships returned to altitude on Saturday at the Stadium Pool in Bloemfontien, Free State. This, the showpiece of South African age group swimming (Level 3) is sure to produce some exciting racing over the next few days if the three records that fell on the opening day are anything to go by. The meet concludes on Wednesday.

With the meet returning to Free State capital after an absence of a couple of years, it was felt that record times would few and far in between. But records are there to be broken and three fell on the opening day.

Karin Prinsloo (Tuks - Northern Tigers) touched in a time of 1:12.68, breaking Roxanne Meyer's (CGA) record of 1.12.98 in the girl's 11 years 100m backstroke. Holding a significant time advantage over her competitors, a determined Prinsloo set off with a mission. Coming off the wall, it was a question of who would take the minor placing as the diminutive Lauren Bezuidenhout (Beavers - KZN) slashed a massive three seconds off her heats time to take the silver in 1:15, 24from the outside. Robyn Williams (Dolphins - WP) took third spot in 1:15.93.

In the girls 12 years old 50m Breaststroke, Suzaan van Biljon (Bloemfontein Seals - FS) broke Kelly Acutt's (Pietermaritzburg Seals - KZN) record of 35.53 in a time of 35.19. van Biljon has proved to be unbeatable in her lead up to this meet and continued her winning ways with an emphatic record-breaking win. She was off the blocks in a flash and was ahead in convincing fashion after 15 meters. With the crowd behind her, the local lass proved to be the "Rose of Bloemfontien" when she slashed ,34 off Acutts existing mark. The minor placing saw an exciting tussle between Kings Park teammates Talia Goddard(36.22) who put one over Nicci Ziedler (37.13) to claim silver.

Not to be outdone Ashley Oliver (Strand-WP) showed his metal when he claimed the third record of the evening in the men's 12-year-old 50m Breaststroke. He broke Darryl Spires(Mr. Price Seagulls - KZN) record in a time of 34.35, an improvement of .74. He however did not have matters his own way and was hounded by the Bloemfontien Seals duo of Jean Roux (34.61) and Enzo Iannone (35.07) who must surely take the credit in pushing Oliver to his record breaking swim.

Sound performances by Melissa Corfe (Mr. Price Seagulls - KZN) in the girls 200m Freestyle (2:08.50) and 100m Backstroke (1:08.66) saw the likable Natalian post respectable times ahead of the upcoming Senior nationals to be held at Ellis Park in two weeks time.

The girls 17-18 200m Freestyle saw Marizanne Grundling (Vineyards - WP) (2:06.48) steal the thunder when she won comfortably from teammate Jadine Louw (2:07.08) and Krisi Kuhlmey (Pietermaritzburg Seals - KZN) (2:07.87) after laying in third position after the first hundred. The former Northern Tigers star that has recently relocated to Cape Town to train with Hungarian guru, Karoly von Torros at the Vineyards Club is another who is showing good form ahead of Senior Nationals.

The senior boys event saw an exciting tussle with a less than a second separating the top three finishers. Sarel Lamprecht (Bloemfontien Seals - FS ) set the early pace and was a clear leader after the first hundred (56.98) with the pack in hot pursuit. Kings Parks' Jeff Norton however did enough to edge out Lampecht with a quick back hundred( 1:00.34) to take the title in 1:58.05. Rudolf Wagenaar (Bloemfontien Seals - FS) claimed third spot when he finished in 1:58.92 after posting the fastest final hundred (1:00.27).

The fastest 200 of the day however went to 16 year old Dominik Meichtry from RAU in Gauteng when he posted an impassive 1:57.54 ahead of Mr. Price Seagulls' Daryl Spires who took silver in 1:59.74.

Candice Little (Mustangs - CGA) took the 100m Backstroke title for senior girls ( 17-18) when she posted a clear victory when she went 1:07.90 in a pulsating race. Samantha Jones (Pietermaritzburg Seals - KZN) (1:08.52) edged out Taryn Cockyne (RAU - CGA) (1:08.54) and Monique Malan (Kings Park - KZN) (1:08.56) in a finish that was determined on the touch pads.

The senior boys event saw a titanic battle between two of the best exponents of the backstroke currently in South Africa. National Junior star and Millennium Commonwealth Games gold medal winner, Gerhard Zandberg (PAC - NT) (58.50) saved his best performance for the finals when he won the event from the outside, however Garreth McGee (EsP - CGA) was always in contention finishing in 59.94 ahead of Bloemfontien Seals' Peter Pelser (1:01.55). Both Zandberg and McGee have shown considerable promise over the past few seasons and the more senior backstrokers should take heed. There are a couple of new kids on the block !

Carl Marais (PAC - NT) (59.72) is also a young man in a hurry when he took the 16-year-old title with ease.

The senior girls 200m Butterfly title went to Diana Hegedus (Klerksdorp - NW) who posted a winning time of 2:21.96. Hegedus, a member of the Hungarian junior squad who is training at altitude in Klerksdorp recently won the Ola Telkom Midmar Mile in convincing fashion . She has a PB of 2:16 in the 200 fly and is expected to give national titleholder Mandy loots a close run for her money at the upcoming Senior Nationals.

The boys title went to the up and coming 15 year old, Dustin Dale (Dolphins - CGA)( 2:10.75) who caused an upset when he beat local lad and title holder, George du Rand (Bloemfontien Seals - FS)(2:12.47) from Andrew Hogg (Strand - WP)(2:13.65) in what can only be described as the major upset of the first day of the meet. Du Rand, a hot favorite for the men's title at senior nationals and appeared to be out of sorts. This however should not detract from the excellent effort by Dale who this correspondent rates as a star of the future.

An exciting evenings racing and if this is a taste of what is to come, the next four days should see some exciting performances and even a few records. What this space.