FIRE-BREATHING Dragons have been making their mark in the pool.

A sensational nine Denbigh Dragons have achieved qualifying times for the upcoming winter national championships.

This is an unprecedented achievement for the club and it is a reflection of how Denbigh is continuing to produce swimmers of the highest calibre.

The Swim Wales Winter National Short Course Swimming Championships takes place every winter in Swansea and they bring together the finest age group swimmers in the country to compete at the highest level.

Only the fastest swimmers in Wales are able to achieve the stringent qualification standards, which are based on race times achieved throughout the qualification window.

The nine Denbigh Dragons to qualify are Mared Roberts, Nansi Davies, Anya Dolan, Sian Evans, Jessica Lloyd, Freya Thapa, Ellie Hughes, Gleb Yablokov and Dafydd Jones.

This year, the winter nationals will be held between November 19 and December 1.

Dafydd, Ellie, Jessica, Sian, Freya and Anya will be heading down to Swansea and competing with the best Wales has to offer in the 25m pool. Head coach Justin Jones has warmly congratulated the nine qualifiers, entrusting the six able to travel to Swansea with the Denbigh Dragons banner for their trip to South Wales.

"It will be a fantastic experience for all those going and we wish them all the best and look forward to hearing exciting news on their return north," he said.

"A number of other swimmers in the club have come close to qualification, and they will hope to further improve their times to make sure of qualification next time.

"Swimmers’ early season hard work and commitment, and the passion and dedication of the coaches and wider support teams, are helping to realise the potential of these fine athletes throughout the club.

"It looks as though the record number of nine qualifiers this year will not stand for long. Good luck in Swansea, Dragons!"