Ros Hardiman produced the swimming weekend of her life at Sheffield Ponds Forge, as she stormed to five national titles at the BT British short-course championships for disabled swimmers - and smashed a world record.

The Flying Hogs' veteran international and 2000 Paralympian, swimming for Southern Region, clocked 1min 57.70sec, a new short-course world best, in the SB6 100m breaststroke - the event in which she finished sixth in the Sydney final. She also took gold in the 50m breaststroke, the 50m and 100m backstroke (S7) and the 200m individual medley.

The medley saw another phenomenal Hardiman swim - she slashed 19 seconds from the national record, posting 3.42.48. Three silvers rounded off the individual eight-medal haul for Hardiman, who works as a museum curator in Portsmouth.

"She was on a real roll," said coach and Southern Region team manager Sarah Dixon. "She always slogs, she always gives 100 per cent and does very well, but it was a different Rosalinda this time because she was so relaxed. it's as if with Sydney behind her, the pressure was off".

Another former Paralympian, City of Southampton's Vivien Mullett, marked her returns to Nationals competition with a gold in the S1 100m freestyle, in 5.41.22 - as well as three silvers behind the South's multiple world record-breaker in Sydney, Danielle Watts.

Neil Woodruffe (Winchester & District) collected four silver medals from four swims - bettering his two silvers and a bronze last year. But he was unlucky not to turn one to gold: seeded fastest in the SB3 100m breaststroke, he led for 99, but was just touched out at the end.

Gosport's Steve Feltham - another Sydney Paralympian - stormed to gold in the S8 100m freestyle (1.08.82); but a haul of three other silver medals made it a comparatively quiet Nationals for him. As an indication of the quality of the event, however, the 300-plus swimmers competing included no less than 42 of the 48-strong Paralympic team.

Southampton's Richard Cooke picked up two bronze medals in the SB8 breaststroke - his highlight a 43.65pb in the 50m. Another pb in the 50m backstroke earned him fifth place. Clubmate Matthew Chalke, aged 15 and making his senior national debut in the daunting Ponds Forge arena, had a best-placed 7th in the 100m backstroke.

But another 15-year-old debutante went home a first-time medal winner. Mary Ann Heywood (Winchester & District) picked up a bronze in the women's 100m freestyle relay - in the distinguished company of team-mates Hardiman, Mullett and Watts. She also placed top eight in four individual events, the best of them a fifth in the 50m breaststroke SB7 class.