WILTSHIRE’S paddlers returned from a successful start of the season at the national regatta at the National Watersports Centre in Nottingham.

Noteworthy performances were put in by junior paddlers Freddie Brown (Wiltshire Youth), Ed Nightingale and Harriet Quigley (both Bradford on Avon), whose efforts saw them promoted from Junior C categories to Junior B.

Kayaking in the girls C category Quigley won the 200m, 500m and 1000m K1 races in her category and in the boys C section Brown came second in the 200m and 500m and made the final in the 1000m.

Nightingale was third in the 200m and fourth in the 500m and the pair then teamed up to win the 200m K2 (double kayak) and come second in the 1000m K2.

Then with Alex Sheppey, from Devizes and a Royal Leamington Spa paddler they comfortably won the 1000m K4, Sheppey also earning promotion to boys C.

Bradford on Avon Olympian Ed McKeever blasted off to win the men’s A 200m K1 in 36.58 seconds, over a second clear of the nearest rival while fellow GB squad member Hannah Brown was second in the women’s A 200m K1 then teaming up and also won the the 500m K2.

Other notable results included Calum Gingell (Bradford) who made the second final of the boys A/B 200m and boys B 500m races and joined Spencer Armstrong (Devizes) to come fifth in the final of the boys A/B 200m K2.

Connor Withers (Bradford) made the third finals of the 200m and 500m K1 in category D and paddled in the finals of the boys D 200m 500 and 1000m.

Milly Webb (Wiltshire Youth) was third in the women’s D K1 500m final and fourth in the 200m and clubmate James New was 2nd in the men’s C K1 500m and 1000m and third in the 200m.