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Published: 15 June, 2012
by STEVE BARNETT

ISLINGTON’S medal count at the Balfour Beatty London Youth Games is up and running after youngsters peppered the podium in the disability swimming finals at Beckenham Spa on Tuesday.

Among the outstanding performers was William Tynedale Primary schoolboy Joe Humphreys, 8, who won gold in the 25m freestyle functional disability class.

Finsbury Park’s Gabriella Brumini-Ince, 13, also struck gold as she swam to victory in the learning disability and hearing impairment class in the female 25m breaststroke.  

Hattie Burnay, 9, of Dallington School won silver in the 25m freestyle final in the female functional disability class.

In the 25m backstroke learning disability and hearing impairment finals, Bagdhadi Ramadan, 15, of Bridge Special School won bronze in the boys’ event, while Morgan Conway, 13, of Laycock Primary School won silver in girls’ final.

Disability swimming forms part of the wider Balfour Beatty London Youth Games, including 80 school and community competitions across 30 sports that take place across the year, climaxing at the finals weekend at the National Sports Centre in Crystal Palace from June 28 to July 1.

Now part of the government’s nationwide School Games programme, and supported by Sport England National Lottery funding, the Youth Games has expanded to feature more schools events within its competition programme as it looks to build on the record-breaking 71,000 youngsters who took part in last year’s competition.