AIMS Games: Lucy makes history for Mount Maunganui Intermediate

Many outstanding athletes have competed for Mount Maunganui Intermediate at AIMS Games since the first one back in 2004.

But until this week no one had managed to win a gold medal in more than one sport at the same games.

Lucy Bartlett, 11, made history when she won gold in the Year 7 cross country champs and in the 200m backstroke swimming.

She also added a silver medal in the 200m freestyle final.

Lucy said she did not think she would win both cross country and swimming titles.

"No I was pretty surprised when I did get a gold in both of them," she said.

"I swum a seven second PB which was a big surprise to me. I am really proud to have done that."

The competition was what she loves most about AIMS Games.

"All the teams coming over from where they live and seeing all of them is so good."

Lucy's success was part of a wonderful tournament week for the Mount Maunganui Intermediate swim team that won 15 medals.

That haul made them the most successful Bay of Plenty school in the pool, finishing second overall behind Diocesan School for Girls from Auckland.

Zyleika Pratt-Smith was the individual star, winning three gold, three silver and three bronze medals in a superb, individual performance.

Mount Maunganui's swim coach Scott Bartlett was the New Zealand Surf Lifesaving head coach from 2008 to 2014.

He was also Lucy's dad so had double reason to be proud of the performances she put in this week.

"She had a look at the psych sheets that came out prior to the meet and she thought she had a chance of getting a medal, but when she swum the heat of the 200 backstroke she did quite a considerable PB so she then thought she had a really good chance," he said.

"She went into the race in a really good head space, with a really good plan and I think quite confident she could do something really, really good.

"The times she did actually qualified her for the nationals for 13-years and over, so she was really stoked to do that and obviously to win the gold."

Bartlett said Lucy's form leading into the cross country race of 162 starters last Sunday was ideal preparation.

"She won the elite Bay of Plenty-wide cross country a couple of weeks back and again she had a really good race plan and she was very patient.

"It was an awesome race to watch. She didn't take off with the girls in the first 400 metres, just sat back in the middle of the pack and then waited for the hills and took off then."

Bartlett said the AIMS Games swimming organisers deserve credit for how well the meeting went, with vast numbers to contend with.

"They got through a lot of races and the organisation was excellent. They need a big pat on the back for that.

"The standard of racing was really good and there are some great kids coming through."