BALFOUR BOASTS TRIPLE BREASTSTROKE TITLE
City of Edinburgh's Kirsty Balfour won her final race of
the 2006 British Championships to give her a clean sweep of
the 50m, 100m and 200m Breaststroke titles and top of a great
night for Britain's swimmers in the pool.
The British record holder, who won silver in Melbourne just
three weeks ago, was the clear victor with a time of 2:27.23.
"I feel very relieved after that," she said. "To
win all three breaststroke events wasn't something I thought
I could do, especially after such a long time away, but I've
got the set now.
"It's been a really positive year for me - I've lowered
my times by some big margins and a lot of that has to do with
being part of such a good club. There's so much encouragement
and everybody knows each other really well. We take care of
each other and push each other."
Loughborough University's Joe Roebuck was also celebrating
a trio of titles, after sealing the win in the 400m Individual
Medley. Roebuck took the gold in 4:19.46, Warrender's Lewis
Smith won silver in 4:21.60 and Thomas Haffield of City of
Cardiff was bronze medallist in 4:27.69.
In the 50m Freestyle, Francesca Halsall, who celebrates her
16th birthday next week, set a lifetime best and new British
Age Group Record to win in a time of 25.54 and put herself
up for selection to the European squad.
"That felt fast and good," she said. "It was
the perfect way to end the last six weeks. I've done quite
a few events this week and I'm tired. To end as British champion
with a personal best is just great though."
Halsall also won silver tonight in the 50m Backstroke in
a personal best of 29.90, behind Katie Sexton (Portsmouth
Northsea) who won her first title in this event in 29.77.
Lincoln Vulcans' Lizzie Simmonds won bronze in 30.15.
Simmonds and Halsall are among a group of young British hopefuls
who have shone this week in Sheffield. Jessica Dickons (Stockton)
is one of them and tonight she lowered her best by two seconds
to defend her title in the 200m Butterfly and finish well
within the required qualification standard.
The 15-year-old finished in 2:09.85 ahead of City of Birmingham's
Terri Dunning and Rebecca Shaw of Loughborough University,
who will both be considered for Hungary with times of 2:10.11
and 2:12.50.
"That's what I had my heart set on," said Dickons.
"I wanted to go sub 2:10 and I'm happy with that. It's
a two-second PB and ensures I'll make my first senior international
team. I've been training very well so I knew it was just a
matter of time before it paid off."
James Goddard was also on a high after swimming his fastest
time in more than a year in the 200m Backstroke. The Stockport
Metro swimmer, who took a break from the sport after an agonising
Olympics, was back on form and set a time of 1:58.45 to qualify
for the European Championships.
"My aim was always to go out hard and on the back of
just three months' training to go 1:58 is really pleasing,"
he said. "Last year for me was shocking. I didn't go
below 1:59, so to do that tonight looks good for the future.
"After watching the Commonwealth Games on TV I had this
fire in my belly but I was really nervous coming here this
week.
"I'm just really enjoying myself and enjoying my swimming
at the moment. It's a major part of my life again. I've not
felt that way since the Olympics. I wanted to prove a point
here this week that I haven't gone away, and with a time like
that which would have won the Commonwealth Games, I think
I've done that. I'm just really excited about the future and
my focus now is on Beijing."
Commonwealth Champion Dave Davies successfully defended his
title in the 1500m Freestyle to qualify for the European Championships
in 15:03.43.
"It's been nearly three weeks since my Commonwealth
Games final and it's hard to carry that form through,"
explained Davies. "I thought I'd go out easy, try something
new, and come back stronger and the time was pretty good considering.
"It would have been nice to go under 15 minutes again,
but that performance is pleasing for this stage of the season.
I need to get home now and work towards Budapest."
Wear Valley's Chris Alderton, who trains at the British Swimming
offshore centre in Australia, also posted a qualification
time to finish in silver position with a lifetime best of
15:18. John Owen (City of Edinburgh) won Bronze in 15:46.69.
In the 400m Freestyle, Durham University Aquatics' Joanne
Jackson finished a pleasing first despite suffering from a
cold. Her time of 4:08.91 was less that a second off her personal
best and qualifies her for the British squad bound for Budapest
later this year.
17-year-old Rebecca Adlington, who won gold in the 800m event
earlier this week, has also qualified with a five-second best
of 4:10.28. Stephanie Proud of Loughborough University won
bronze in 4:14.52.
"That was a lot quicker than I expected and I'm delighted,"
beamed Jackson. "I've felt rough all week due to a could
so to go that well is a real shock.
"Becky swam so well and pushed me all the way which
was a big help. It shows the strength we have in this country
in the middle distance freestyle events."
Loughborough University's Matthew Bowe qualified for Europe
after a personal best time in the 100m Butterfly saw him finish
two tenths of a second ahead of defending Champion Todd Cooper
in 53.33. Stirling's Cooper touched home for silver in 53.51
and Michael Rock of City of Edinburgh won bronze in a lifetime
best of 53.88.
"I'm pleased with that," said Bowe. "I really
didn't know what to expect coming into this meet off the back
off the Commonwealth Games. It was a tough race but to get
a PB and to take the touch is a perfect way to end a busy
six weeks.
"I don't mind close races, it's just nice to race in
such a quality field - there are some good butterfly swimmers
coming through. I still feel on a high after the Commonwealth
Games and it's helping me to improve all the time."
In the men's 50m Breaststroke, University of Bath's Darren
Mew added to the title he won over 100m earlier this week.
His time of 27.96 was within the qualification standard and
put him ahead of Loughborough University's Chris Watkinson
and Mark Wolfarth of City of Liverpool who finished in 28.98
and 29.01 respectively.
There was heartache for former Commonwealth champion Adam
Whitehead who matched Mew's time but was disqualified for
a false start.
"My hands split on the dive and I struggled to get back
into the race," said Mew. "I won, but to be honest,
I'm just so gutted for Adam. It would have been amazing to
race with him at the Europeans this summer.
"I put a lot of my own performances down to swimming
against Adam and I'm sure he feels the same way. It's just
not a nice way to end as he's been showing good form."
In the men's 50m Freestyle Matthew Tutty of Nova Centurion
won gold in 22.99 and Stirling's Craig Houston won silver
in a new Scottish Record time of 23.03, while Kingston Royals'
Owen Morgan took bronze in 23.12.
In this evening's disability events, Paralympic Champion
Sascha Kindred set a new World Record in the 200m Individual
Medley. Kindred, who changed clubs earlier this year and now
swims for Leominster, knocked a second off his previous best
to lower the new standard to 2:47.46 in the S6 category.
"I've been doing very well in training where I've put
in a lot of endurance-based work and it just seems to be coming
together," he said. "I knew I was swimming well
after my butterfly event yesterday, so I decided to put on
a racing suit and give it a go. To go a whole second inside
the old record was amazing - I'm so chuffed.
"I owe a lot of people for that, but especially Colin
Hood, Neil Parsley and Emma Patrick."
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