BRONZE FOR COOKE BUT FOSTER MISSES OUT
Rebecca Cooke collected Britain's first medal of the World
Short Course (25m) Championships today when she scooped bronze
in the 800m Freestyle in Shanghai.
But there was disappointment for former world record holder
Mark Foster, who failed to qualify for the final in what was
the last 50m Freestyle of his illustrious 21-year international
swimming career.
Cooke (City of Glasgow) played her part with a well-earned
bronze to win the first world short course medal of her career.
Swimming in an outside lane, the 23-year-old finished in
8:20.02sec behind Russia's Anastasia Ivanenko (8:11.99sec)
and Kate Ziegler of the United States (8:14.12sec).
"I'm delighted to get a medal, but I can't help but
think It would have been even better If I was nearer the middle
of the pool where I could see the others," she said.
"It's been tough with all the travelling and coming
from a major meet in a 50 metre pool, but I'm very pleased
with the way it went, as well as the time."
Foster's under-form 22.02sec placed him 9th in the semis,
just 0.03sec shy of making Friday's final.
The 35-year-old, who was once the world's fastest man in
water, admitted that the occasion may have got the better
of him.
"I really wanted to get something out of this and I
should have got something, so I'm very disappointed,"
said Foster, who has won six world championship titles.
"I don't know whether the announcement of the retirement
affected me. Maybe there was something in the back of my mind,
I don't know."
He added: "It just wasn't there today, but I have nothing
to prove. I'm just enjoying the occasion."
Melanie Marshall booked her place in Friday's 100m freestyle
final with an impressive performance in the semis. Marshall
(Loughborough), a silver medallist at the Commonwealth Games
recently, clocked 54.15sec to qualify sixth fastest.
In Friday's morning heats, British record holder Liam Tancock
(Loughborough) is scheduled to compete in the men's 50m backstroke,
Mark Foster will race in the 50m Butterfly, Kate Haywood (Loughborough)
in the 100m Breaststroke and Rebecca Cooke in the 400m Freestyle.
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