Claire Manton and Richard Salt were the stars when the Brighton Open launched a new era in British swimming.

The failure of British swimmers at the Sydney Olympics highlighted a need for change and the Amateur Swimming Association have acted.

The Tom Handley Memorial meet, involving more than 500 youngsters at the Prince Regent pool, Brighton, included an initiative that will be used at all county championships this year.

The scheme aims to encourage youngsters to try more events early in their development.

Dennis Yeoman, the governing body's project manager, said: "British swimming hadn't been reviewed since the Sixties and we felt if youngsters don't specialise too early they can develop a range of skills and distances and are more likely to stay in the sport longer and achieve their potential.

"Brighton are to be applauded for leading the way by providing competitive opportunities for the system."

Organisers at Brighton scrapped heats to encourage swimmers to vary their entries and Manton and Salt took full advantage.

Manton won all EIGHT of her races.

The 13-year-old home ace, a national schools breaststroke champion, was the top performer as Brighton finished the competition as the top Sussex club and were second overall out of 42.

Roared on by a packed gallery, the Blatchington Mill schoolgirl produced three personal bests in her clean sweep, doubling her win total of last year.

In the 14-year-olds' events, Claire won the 100m and 200m freestyle, breaststroke and backstroke, plus the 100m butterfly and 200m individual medley.

She said: "The fact there were no heats and just finals encouraged me to try more events and I enjoyed it.

"Hopefully it might lead to the Olympics one day, although my short term goals are more national and junior titles and to compete more for England."

Manton, selected to swim for England in the Home Age Group Internationals in Wales in March, puts her success down to coach Nigel Carrucan.

She said: "I seem to be going through a purple patch at the moment and it is all down to Nigel. I wouldn't be doing any of this but for him.

"He does the right cycles of training for me and tells me how to swim a race and what times are possible. He's really supportive."

Carrucan believes Manton will benefit from the ASA revolution.

He said: "The new system finds out what suits swimmers' physiological development. It is the base of a very big plan of change which is needed.

"Claire benefited over the two days at the Open and she will benefit overall because I feel that if she keeps working as hard as she as she is now, she could become an Olympian."

Salt, 17, from the Shiverers Club, won six medals, despite only six hours of training in the week before the event.

He won the 15 and overs' 100m and 200m backstroke and breaststroke, 200m individual medley and freestyle, while securing a silver medals in the 100m butterfly and freestyle.

The national champion and international had been busy studying for A levels at Lancing College.

Salt said: "I was surprised to swim so well with so little training beforehand. But I enjoyed the variety of so many different events. There was some tough opposition."

The West Chiltington swimmer, who competes with clubmate Simon Burtenshaw, in the World Cup in Sheffield this month, added: "It has put me in confident mood for the Cup. Ian Thorpe, the Olympic gold medallist was there last year, so it should be a good experience if there are swimmers like him around again."

Brighton gained 19 victories in total. Tom Rooke won four titles in the 11-year-olds' 50m backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly and the 100m individual medley as well as finishing second in the 50m freestyle.

Double Emma Eaves gained a double and could have earned more but for her birthdate. Your age group is decided by the year you are born in. She was ten on December 31 and therefore had to compete in the 11 years section in which she took the 50m butterfly and 100m individual medley titles.

Clubmate Amy Kent and Garth Kates each had twin triumphs in the same group.

Kates won the 12-year-olds' 100m individual medley and 50m freestyle as well as gaining two runners-up spots. Amy chipped in with victories in the 15-years-and-over's 100m and 200m breaststroke.

Ross Bish took the 13-year-olds' 100m butterfly.

Brighton (215.5 points) were second behind Guildford (275) with Beckenham (170) third.

Spokesman Brian Smith said: "It was a good effort as Guildford and Beckenham are big clubs and have Olympians as members.

"It would be great to help our development and the prestige of the new city of Brighton and Hove if we managed to get a 50m longcourse, Olympic-size pool. We could attract southern and may national championships particularly as Crystal Palace looks a bit dilapidated. It would put the city on the map."

British junior international Burtenshaw, a 19-year-old former Cardinal Newman pupil, just entered the 15-and -over's 100m freestyle and won it.

Crawley's Alexa White scored a double victor in the 200m butterfly and 100m backstroke in the same age group.

Clubmate Alex Brown secured the 100m butterfly and breaststroke crowns.

Craig Steenhoff took the 200m butterfly title and Bognor's Ben Duke triumphed in the 100m individual medley.

Swedish club Artemis took part of the third time and produced a winner in Robbin Steen who took the 14-year-olds' 100m breaststroke, pipping Ben McIvor (Hastings).

Sussex clubs who also competing included: Eastbourne, Littlehampton, Bexhill, Worthing, Lewes, Brighton Dolphin Burgess Hill, Haywards Heath, Chichester and East Grinstead.