SWIMMERS CLOSE TO CLEAN SWEEP TARGET
A demanding target of achieving victory in every race contested
by the British contingent on the final day of the Speedo Grand
Challenge in California fell short by the smallest of margins
and to an Olympic medallist.
Wins were secured in all races bar the Women's 100m Freestyle
where America's Olympic medallist Natalie Coughlin touched
in 55.15 just ahead of Loughborough University's Mel Marshall
who finished joint second with World 200m Freestyle Champion
Alena Popchanka in 55.21. Fran Halsall of City of Liverpool
was fourth in a new lifetime best of 57.35.
Caitlin McClatchey (Loughborough University) beat Olympic
medallist Sachiko Yamada of Japan in the Women's 800m Freestyle
and set a new Scottish Record in the process. McClatchey went
8:37.05 to take victory on the touch from Yamada in 8:37.25.
The Scot's time bettered the 19-year-old Record set in 1986
by Ruth Gilfillan by some margin as it previously stood at
8:48.82.
Jo Jackson (Durham Aquatics) continued to perform strongly
at the three-day meet when she set a new personal best time
to win the Women's 200m Butterfly in 2:12.68, three seconds
ahead of her nearest rival.
Liam Tancock (Loughborough University) took the Men's 100m
Backstroke title in 56.56 while university team mate James
Gibson went 2:19.64 to take the Men's 200m Breaststroke gold
ahead of Adam Whitehead (City of Coventry) in 2:21.38.
Kirsty Balfour (City of Edinburgh) took the honours in the
Women's 200m Breaststroke in 2:28.41 while Loughborough's
Kate Haywood secured victory in the A final in 2:34.00.
In other A finals Julia Beckett and Karen Lee (both Loughborough
University) emerged on top in the 100m Freestyle and 100m
Backstroke in 57.05 and 64.44 respectively.
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