SWIMMERS from Stockton cut through the competition to emerge victorious in a Tees Valley tournament.

More than 200 youngsters aged nine to 16-years-old took part in the swimming gala at Darlington’s Dolphin Centre which marked the first event of the 2014 Sainsbury’s School Games season.

The competitors were split into five districts according to their school’s location and it was the swimmers from the Stockton Northfield district who triumphed overall with 100 points.

They were closely followed by the Darlington team taking the silver medal position with 87 points and the Redcar and Cleveland team winning bronze with 84 points.

The other districts taking part in the 32 different races were Hartlepool and Stockton Central.

Jean Lordon, executive director of Tees Valley Sport, praised all the pupils’ efforts.

She said: “Congratulations go to all involved in the gala, the competitors delivered an exciting competition with many very close races in the pool showcasing the talent and excellent sporting spirit of young people in the Tees Valley.

“For many it was the first time that they had represented their district in a sports competition; they were excellent ambassadors for their area and provided great support for their new team mates.”

A further three events in the School Games season will take place during the summer involving over 1,000 schoolchildren across a range of sports and athletics.

The aim of the Games series is that they will inspire the youngsters taking part to continue practicing sport throughout their lives.

They form part of the sporting legacy from the London 2012 Olympic Games and are supported by the Government and receive funding from Sport England through the National Lottery.