Records tumbled at the National Swimming Championships last weekend with four talented young swimmers stealing the show.

Backstroke specialist Michael O?Connor, who represented the Island at this year?s Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, set a new national record in the 50 metres backstroke, taking the record below 28 seconds with an outstanding swim of 27.96 while Nick Thomson set a new 13 and 14 age group backstroke record in 29.04 ? breaking his own record by over a second in the process and giving him his second qualifying time for the FINA Youth World Championships to be held in Rio de Janeiro this August.

Thomson also broke the 13 and 14 age group record in the 100 metres backstroke, establishing a new standard of 1:04.27.

In the 200 metres butterfly, Claire Hawley smashed the 13 and 14 age group record with a determined swim of 2.44.44.

In the same race and with a neat sense of symmetry, she saw her 11 and 12 age group record broken by Ashley Yearwood, who shaved two seconds off of the record with a new mark of 2.52.57.

Assistant national swimming coach Ben Smith was thrilled with the emergence of such exciting young swimmers.

?I think it is evident that we have an imminent changing of the guard as these younger, up and coming swimmers will soon be challenging for the elite athlete positions,? he said.We now have five swimmers who have qualified for the FINA Youth World Championships, as Nick Thomson and Lara Loescher with some phenomenal performances this weekend, join Rebecca Sharpe, Eleanor Gardner and Nathan Frick who have previously qualified.

?It is these swimmers to whom we can look for the future and this meet in Rio de Janeiro is just the sort of exposure they need to gauge their abilities.?

Smith added that there were yet another underlying group of swimmers who were hot on the heels of these teenagers, listing Ashley Yearwood, Rachael Petty and Morgan Hopkins as names to watch for the future.

?It?s clear our local training is producing the performances that we are expecting to get,? he said, while also mentioning Jason Mastalir who has qualified to swim in the Canadian Age Group National Championships at the end of next month.

?All of these swimmers have worked hard throughout the season and have made the qualifying times to swim in the Alberta Age Group Championships in two weeks time. I expect to see them swim strong and fast there and use this as a springboard into our summer age group championships and the Harbour Open.?