BURY's Welsh wizard Emma Hughes is going for gold at Swansea in the Principality's age group championships.

The 15-year-old Bury-born Ramsbottom Rascal, who qualifies for the national competition because her parents are Welsh, is in five events.

Emma, who lives in Brandlesholme, is a pupil at Bury Grammar School. She said: "This is the biggest gala I have ever entered and I have been swimming regularly since I was eight.

"I promised my grandparents, who live in Carmarthen, that if I was good enough I'd swim for Wales, and they have promised to be there cheering me on."

Emma's training schedule has not been ideal, as she's only just got over jet-lag having returned along with other Rascals from the council-organised Millenium trip to Woodbury in the good, old US of A.

Emma added: "We did some competition swimming in Woodbury and it was a good standard. I won my 50 metres freestyle, which is my strongest event, in America and as my submitted times are up to three seconds under the qualifying time, I am optimistic for Swansea."

Rascals head coach Rick Wesolowski, who is also just back from Woodbury, said: "We had some excellent ambassadors for our club out there. They competed well with several personal bests against some quality American swimmers.

"It was a fantastic experience for everyone."

Meanwhile, in the Rascals' club championships, Tom Booth, aged nine, showed his promise in the second round -- but it's no great surprise as Tom has been competing in the evnt for three years already!

Organsier John Taylor, a Rascals team manager, said: "Tom is picking up experience all the time and is emerging as one of the best prospects in the whole region."

Mr Taylor was also impressed with six-year-old Kiera Hall, who clocked times that girls of ten years of age would have had difficulty hitting.

"Other newcomers such as 10-year-old Ross Watson and Danielle Jackson, who is 12, did well and will now give our club more strength in depth," added Mr Taylor.

Also catching the eye at Sunday's event was Jospeh Ainscow while 16-year-old Joe Mackenzie notched a personal best in the breaststroke event.