MCCLATCHEY DELIVERS FIRST BRITISH MEDAL
Freestyler Caitlin McClatchey delivered British Swimming’s
first medal on day one of the World Championships in the same
city her uncle won an Olympic medal in 1976.
The Loughborough swimmer fought all the way in a thrilling
World Championships 400m Freestyle final in Montreal to take
the bronze at the touch.
Twenty-nine years earlier her uncle Alan McClatchey also
won a relay bronze at the Olympics and to try to replicate
her family’s former glory was something that was very
much at the forefront of her mind.
McClatchey, who only turned her attention to the 400m event
following an Olympic year spent concentrating on the 200m
distance, has certainly come on within that time and she went
close to beating her own British Record at the Parc Jean-Drapeau
tonight.
Laure Manaudou of France took the gold in 4:06.44, after
passing the 200m mark under World Record pace, and silver
went to Ai Shibata of Japan in 4:06.74. McClatchey’s
time of 4:07.25 was just shy of her 4:07.02 record.
“I can’t believe it,” said McClatchey.
“I tried to focus on swimming as fast as I could. I
saw Manaudou in front and knew I had to try to get close to
her.”
It was a tight finish with Shibata chasing a tired Manaudou
to the line and for McClatchey she faced her own race for
a medal to touch just ahead of Canadian Reimer Brittany who
was cheered every inch of the way by a home crowd.
“It was close but I was never going to give up. It’s
my first year as a 400m swimmer and it’s pretty special
to win a bronze given I’ve only been doing it a short
time plus this is where my Uncle Alan won his Olympic medal.”
Jo Jackson (Durham Aquatics) also lined up for the final
of the 400m but, despite a very fast swim in the morning heats,
couldn’t keep pace in such a frantic race and slipped
to seventh in 4:08.88.
Breaststroke swimmer Chris Cook (City of Newcastle) bettered
his own personal best time twice in one day when he went 1:00.86
in the morning heats of the 100m event, his previous best
had stood at 1:01.27.
He bettered it once again in tonight’s semi-final when
he finished in 1:00.64 to qualify fifth fastest for tomorrow’s
final.
“That was great,” beamed Cook, “I’ve
just posted two personal best times in one day. I knew it
was about time I lowered my best but to do it twice gives
me a lot of confidence.
“I feel more relaxed here, I think that’s the
difference between now and Athens, at the Olympics I was too
tense. I’m looking forward to the final and hope I can
lower my time again.”
Darren Mew (University of Bath( has a disastrous heat and
failed to make the grade when he finished 29th in 1:02.43.
“I don’t really know what went wrong out there.
It was quite tough out there but I just couldn’t rise
to it.”
Ros Brett (Loughborough University) swam in the semi-finals
of the Women’s 100m Butterfly and finished 15th overall
in 1:00.34.
Dave Carry (Loughborough University) finished 21st in the
heats of the Men’s 400m Freestyle. He touched home in
3:52.88 when he required a time of 3:49.00 to make the final.
He said: “It was very disappointing. I’m still
learning to swim fast in the morning and at this level of
competition you need to. It’s really hard to take after
all of the hard work I’ve put in.
“I started out strongly but coming back I couldn’t
match the pace, there’s no excuses for that.”
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