CITY of Oxford began their quest to land the Oxon & North Bucks County Championship title for a fourth successive year with a strong display in the first round at Bletchley.

Their defence began in impressive style, with both the boys’ 13/14-year 50m medley and 50m freestyle relay teams winning gold.

Nicholas Skelton, Billy Wotton, George Rudd and Gabriel Agostini led from start to finish in the medley relay to take gold in 2mins 3.35secs Skelton, Wotton and Agostini were joined by Theo Cooke to take the freestyle relay gold in 1.51.58.

City’s 11/12 year old boys’ relay team of Freddie Cooke, Morgan Smith, Jamie Conway and Miki Petrovic took silvers in both the 50m medley relay (2.22.62) and 50m freestyle relay (2.09.72).

Bicester Blue Fins’ county record-holder Kieran Bird, 16, was crowned champion after taking the open 1,500m freestyle title in fine style, leading from start to finish to win in 16.09.88.

City of Oxford’s Fabian Whitbread took silver in 16.16.73, with 15-year-old clubmate Callum Smart claiming bronze in the junior 1500m in 17.14.65.

Bicester’s Joshua Rowland clinched silver, while clubmate Tom Thornley was fifth, In the women’s open 800m freestyle, City’s Emily Nisbet, 16, took silver in 9.22.47, with Alissa Clarke, 15, earning bronze in the junior event in 9.43.02.

Bicester’s Lottie Wynne-Jones, 12, came agonisingly close to a podium in the girls 800m freestyle, missing out on bronze by just three seconds to finish fourth.

The next round of the championships, which involves the middle distance individual events and girls relays, is at Aylesbury this weekend.