JUNIORS SWIMMERS START STRONG IN HUNGARY
The British European Junior team stamped their authority
on day one of the competition in Hungary as they collected
four medals and achieved a series of personal best times.
All but one of the heat swimmers progressed to the next stage
and eight lifetime best times were set at the outdoor Alfred
Hajos pool in Budapest.
Garioch's Hannah Miley topped the haul with
a silver in the 400m Individual Medley on her first outing
with the British team.
The Scotland-based swimmer, whose father is British coach
Patrick Miley and part of the team out in Hungary, was strong
throughout and set a personal best time of 4:47.47 seconds
for the silver. Hungarian Katinka Hosszu took gold in 4:45.88
seconds.
"I tried to keep clam, stay happy and ignore the nerves
and I think that helped me this afternoon," admitted
Miley.
"Coming into the meet I didn't expect to medal at all.
I thought the competition would be pretty stiff then when
I got here and realised I was ranked fourth I was shocked,
but saw my chance. The medal still hasn't sunk in yet.
"Having my Dad here makes it even better. He knows what
I'm like inside and out of the pool and he's in a position
to help me. Before the final he told me to go for it. He said
I'd done all the hard work and training and there was no reason
for me not to medal.
"To medal here means a lot. This meet is my first international
break and to win a medal for my country means so much. I'm
finished now so I'm just going to enjoy the event and support
the rest of the British team."
Miley's British team mate Stacey Tadd (University
of Bath) also swam a personal best time to finish fourth in
4:49.82 seconds.
"That was a lot better than this morning. I've been
doing a few fly drills which I think have helped. It's great
I got a PB," she said.
Jessica Dickons (Borough of Stockton) got
the ball rolling earlier in the evening with a bronze in the
200m Butterfly. After leaving the pool disappointed this morning
she kept her ranking going into the final to finish in 2:12.28
seconds.
Great Britain's Jemma Lowe (Borough of Stockton),
who set a personal best time in this morning's heats (2:13.48),
finished fourth in 2:13.57 seconds.
Dickons was delighted to medal at her first EJCs:
"I'm really happy and a bit surprised," she said.
"I didn't have a good swim this morning but I've turned
that around. I don't like being beaten.
"I knew the other swimmers were close but I tried not
to focus on them as I think that was where I went wrong this
morning.
"I came here to medal which I've done in the race I
wanted."
Tom Haffield got the boys' medal in style with a
bronze, smashing his personal best time in the process.
The City of Cardiff swimmer, bound for the Commonwealths next
year, lowered the personal best time he set in the heats to
4:21.75 seconds.
"I did a 4:28 when I was 15 and it got stuck there -
I wanted to come here and lower it," he explained. "I
thought I might go a 4:23, so I'm over the moon. I've been
working a lot on my strokes with my coach and it's paid off.
"I took two seconds off my PB in the heats and I knew
I could go faster in the final. I knew a quicker time would
be in contention for a medal, it was just a case of which
colour.
"I was racing against boys who are ranked top 16 in
the world so for me to go in ranked 7th at this competition
and finish third is great.
"I think I should be within the world 25 now and I'd
like to go home to the Commonwealth Trials and swim a quicker
time again. I've already qualified for the Welsh team and
now I'm ranked second in Britain behind Robin Francis."
Lewis Smith, who swam against Haffield in
the IM final, was also celebrating a personal best after touching
home in 4:28.68 seconds, after lowering it in the heats.
"It's good to bring down my personal best again in the
final, It was really tough," he said. "Going into
the race I felt better than ever. The first 100m was good
but I tired down the back half. It's great to go faster and
take two seconds off my PB, especially in these unusual conditions.
"I've finished here now so I'll have to head back at
the end of the week and finish my preparations for the Commonwealth
Trials. I need to bring my time down even more to make the
Scottish team.
"I believe I can do it, I just need to put more work
in. Hopefully by then and under some better conditions, I'll
be able to lower my best and qualify for the team."
The girls' relay team finished the night on a high.
Despite forging a lead on the second leg, the quartet of Francesca
Halsall (City of Liverpool), Jazmin Carlin (Tigersharks),
Natalie Durant (Ealing) and Rachael George (Hatfield) were
pipped at the post and took bronze in 8:15.46 seconds.
"We all had high expectations of this race and we would
have liked to finish a bit higher up the podium," admitted
Halsall. "It was a good race between the countries and
it really made us think about the tactics."
"It's great to be able to swim for not only your country,
but your team mates as well."
"It was a new experience for us," added Carlin.
"It's really good to medal and it's a very different
type of adrenaline when you swim for the team."
Halsall has also qualified for tomorrow's
100m Freestyle final, going in ranked number one while Kingston
Upon Hull's Hollie O'Connor swam close to her personal best
to gain entry to the 100m backstroke final.
"I feel like screaming my head off," she joked.
"My performance this afternoon was miles better than
this morning. I knew I had to concentrate on my tempo and
I did well.
"I'm a bit off my best, but I'm going to get it together
for the final and go for a PB."
The European Junior Swimming Championships take place at
the Alfred Hajos Pool, Budapest from 14-17 July. Heats commence
at 8.30am and finals are at 4pm (Please note Hungary BST +
1).
Visit the official website on <http://www.musz.hu/musz/eb_ifi_eng.page>
The British Swimming squad is as follows:
Chris Alderton (Durham Aquatics), James Batley (Millfield),
Mark Branch (REN 96), Ross Clark (Co Dundee), James Clarke
(Millfield), Ed Downes (Maxwell), Craig Elliott (Cockermouth),
Daniel Fogg (Bo Waltham Forest), Thomas Haffield (City of
Cardiff), Scott Houston (Stirling Swim), Mark McKenna (City
of Manchester Aquatics), Robbie Renwick (City of Aberdeen),
Lewis Smith (Warrender), Liam Smith (City of Leeds).
Jazmin Carlin (Tigersharks), Jessica Dickons (Borough of Stockton),
Natalie Durant (Ealing), Rachel Gatford (Beckenham), Rachael
George (Hatfield), Julie Gould (Guildford City), Francesca
Halsall (City of Liverpool), Jemma Lowe (Borough of Stockton),
Hannah Miley (Garioch ASC), Hollie O'Connor (Kingston upon
Hull), Sarah Owen (Portsmouth Northsea), Chloe Ross (Beckenham),
Stacey Tadd (University of Bath), Jordan Tomlinson (Lincoln
Pentaqua), Katy Whitfield (Stockport Metro).
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