Nicola Jackson (Richmond), who has broken over 40 British junior and senior records, had a successful weekend at the British Grand Prix final in the Manchester Commonwealth Games pool where she won the 50m and 100m butterfly and was third in a very close finish to the 200m freestyle in which the eventual winner, Karen Pickering (Ipswich) broke the 19-year-old British record, writes ERIC WILKINSON.

The 200m was an exciting neck and neck race which could have been won by any one of three, but Karen came with a late surge. Nicola clocked a personal best time beating the one she recorded at the Sydney Olympics.

She was just outside her best time in the 100m butterfly in which she won the heat, semi-final and final. Her younger sister Joanne did well to reach the other semi-final. The 50m butterfly was swum in a different format called 'The Skins' which originated in Australia. Eight swimmers start and they swim seven rounds with the slowest swimmer dropping out after each one until only one is left.

A squad of 15 girls, including Nicola, who have already qualified for the World championships in Japan next month, left after the Grand Prix final for a one-week training camp in Narbonne, France.

Newcastle swimmers were also in good form at Manchester. Darren Wigg was beaten by the narrowest of margins, 100th of a second, by York's Robin Francis in the 400m individual medley in which Darren broke his Northumberland and Durham record.

Julie Fort was second in the women's 400m individual medley, only her second long course swim in this event and set a NE Counties record. She was also fourth in the 200m and third in the 200m backstroke. Chris Cook was second in the 100m breaststroke and third in the 200m and Sarah Whewell was runner-up in the 200m individual medley.

Defending champions Newcastle defeated Tynemouth in the fourth and last qualifying gala in the Durham and District Junior League division one to finish level with them on 17 points. They will occupy the two centre lanes in the final at Felling on June 17.

Scores: Newcastle 177, Tynemouth 172, Chester-le-Street 171, Darlington 140, Stokesley 126, Sedgefield 92. The others who qualified for the final are Chester-le-Street 12 points, Darlington 10, Wear Valley and Stokesley 9 with Gateshead/Whickham 6 and Sedgefield 4 missing out.

Division two result: Sunderland 174, Stockton 173, Hartlepool 165, Middlesbrough 161, Richmond 138, Derwentside 55.

Top of the division are South Tyneside 17. Others in the final are: Stockton 14, Middlesbrough 13, Hartlepool and Sunderland 12, Durham 8. Non-qualifiers: Richmond 5 and Derwentside 3.

Newburn scored 208 in division three, Morpeth got 196, Hebburn 144, Ashington 117, Blyth 113. The final table is Consett and Newburn 17, Morpeth 14, Billingham 10, Ashington and Hebburn 9. The other team, Blyth, totalled 5.

All of them will start level in the finals with the winners in division one going on to represent the league in the Northern semi-final of the National Junior League champions competition.

The Northumberland and Durham Masters championships will be competed for at Killingworth tomorrow. The age groups start at 19-24 and go up in five-year bands to 75 and over with individual events on all strokes plus relay teams. There are no finals, the winners being decided by the fastest times in the heats.

The Newcastle annual open meet is staged in the City Baths this weekend