Elimination "skins" events have been a stand-out attraction at the meet for several seasons, and this year yielded probably the most exciting series ever.

The top six in the male and female 50m freestyle and 200m individual medley events went back into the water for an elimination series.

For freestylers, this was relatively straightforward but nonetheless gruelling. The first six went off with the slowest eliminated, eventually down to a two-horse race and the winner taking the substantial prize-money.

It's not just who is fastest over 50 metres, but who can repeat it five times in succession at three-minute intervals. A well judged tactical swim can save vital energy in the early stages, but a poor one can put you out.

Reading's Mark Harris, who recently claimed the Berks and South Bucks championship record, was fastest qualifier via the separate final and was joined by the hosts' Rob Knott, now at Portsmouth University, meet regulars from Tunbridge Wells in Jon Bone and Harry Clarke, Newbury's Daryl Payne and Tom Foley from Gillingham's Black Lion, who had a great meet and won the 1500 on day one.

Knott, called in as a reserve, got through two legs from an outside lane but then lost his goggles on the third dive. It came down to Harris and Bone, with the home swimmer coming out on top.

The ladies' race also pitched a home swimmer into the deciding leg in the shape of Mark's sister Emma.

Better known as a distance freestyle - and winner of both the 400 and 800 this year - Harris swam a good tactical series but would still have been second favourite in the showdown to Natasha Hickey of Tunbridge Wells, who won the separate grand final while Harris placed third.

It could hardly have been tighter and the electronic timing showed Harris with a winning margin of just three hundredths of a second to complete the family double.

The medley skins presents an added complication, with the order of strokes drawn from a hat.

York-Peter Kloeppel, after a silver in the 200 IM grand final, knew that he could cruise a breaststroke leg but needed anything but backstroke to be drawn first.

Unfortunately, backstroke came out of the hat and Kloeppel was first out. Chris Boyce, who had an excellent meet all-round, stayed in against much older opposition and even tied one leg with Black Lion's Jon Lane. Both went again, with Boyce and Birmingham University's Chris Flower eliminated next time.

All four balls went back in for the fifth and last leg and Daniel Davies from Bristol club Soundwell – winner of the top boy trophy for his performances in the top age group across the whole weekend - must have known his name was on the prize-money when backstroke was drawn.

No home swimmers made the top six in the ladies' IM, where another fingertip finish delighted a large support from Chesham as Jasmin Ballingall - who made both "skins" finals - touched out Black Lion's Sara Parfett.

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