Olympic hopeful Madelyn Moore achieved an impressive hat-trick at the recent Fina World Junior Swimming Championships in Indianapolis.

The 17-year-old, who attends Plymouth College in the UK, broke her own national 17-18 age group records in the women’s 50 metres backstroke, 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly.

Her time of 1min, 5.88 sec in the 100 butterfly was also a personal best.

“I think my performances were pretty good,” Moore said. “I was close to PBs in all my events and then I got a PB in the 100 fly and I was 0.02 seconds off the cut [50 freestyle] for the Youth Olympic Games, so I was pretty happy with that.

“I was very happy with that, but I know next year that there will be better swims to come, so I am excited.”

Moore, who was eliminated in the qualifying heats in all five events she competed in, was able to measure up against the world’s elite swimmers at this level.

“It was a great experience, just seeing where I am placed compared to all the other juniors in the world right now that will most likely will be going to Tokyo in 2020. That is somewhere I definitely plan to be and feel I am making progress,” Moore said. “It was definitely a wake-up call. Some of these guys are close to world records and breaking junior records, so seeing that certainly puts into perspective that you need to get your act together and start putting everything into swimming to make it to the next level and medalling in these competitions.”

Also representing Bermuda in Indianapolis was Jesse Washington, who was eliminated in the qualifying heats in the men’s 50, 100 and 200 freestyle and 50 butterfly.

Accompanying Moore and Washington at the championships was Bermuda coach Richard Goodwin, who put the level of competition into context.

“This is a step up on a world stage,” he said. “You’re looking at the best senior age group kids in the world; 13-17 for the girls and 14-18 for the boys.

“Looking to it you are seeing the same faces, if you have not already seen these faces, at the Olympics and you can bet your bottom dollar that these are the faces you will see in 2020.

“This is the highest level meet you can possibly go to in preparation for the 2020 Olympics.”

As for Moore and Washington’s performances, Goodwin added: “They swam this meet and came through it and came very close to expectations in terms of personal best.

“More actually did set three 17-18 age group records and both swimmers were within a couple of tenths of PBs.”

Goodwin described the facilities in Indianapolis as “world class”.

“That facility is phenomenal and probably one of the best in the world,” he said.

“It’s a proven test bed because I think you have something like 120 American records and 20 world records set there.

“It’s a fast pool, a deep pool and is definitely a world-class facility.”

Also competing was Bermudian-born swimmer Jade Hannah who won three medals competing for Canada, including two golds.

“Jade is very, very quick,” Moore said. “It was my second or third time meeting her and she is such a lovely person.”