DUO MEET EURO QUALIFICATION STANDARDS
Two British swimmers with more than a decade separating them
have posted qualification times for this summer's European
Championships in an exciting night of action in the pool,
which included a new world record for disability swimmer Matt
Walker.
Breaststroke specialist Darren Mew dipped below the required
time over 100m and 15-year-old Lizzie Simmonds improved on
her personal best to be considered for the 200m Backstroke
in the last two finals of the evening.
Mew led a field of up-and-coming talent as he touched home
for gold in 1:01.18, while City of Sheffield's James Kirton
smashed his lifetime best for the third time in two days to
lower his personal standard to 1:01.90. Scotland's Kristopher
Gilchrist won bronze in 1:02.65.
"It gives me a lot of confidence to go faster than at
the Commonwealth Games," admitted Mew. "I've worked
really hard in changing my technique since I've been back
and it's made a big difference tonight. I knew it wasn't going
to be easy with the likes of James Kirton who has been swimming
really well.
"I feel like I've really moved forward. I'm not as fit
as I was two weeks ago and I haven't got that kind of speed,
but to go that quick looks good for the future. I really need
some race practice but I feel I'm not too far away from being
at my best."
Youngster Simmonds impressed in a field including former
World Champion Katie Sexton (Portsmouth Northsea) and Olympian
Karen Lee (Loughborough University) to win her first senior
British title in 2:12.72. Sexton won silver in 2:14.95 and
Lee won bronze in 2:15.38.
The Lincoln Vulcans swimmer was delighted to qualify for
her first senior event after missing out on Commonwealth selection
by just a fraction of a second last year.
"That was very painful but I'm just really pleased to
go that fast, set a new PB and qualify for my first senior
international team," she beamed. "I feel I've been
waiting for a long time and to make the squad is awesome."
The country's top male backstrokers were also in action tonight
in a thrilling final over 100m. Gregor Tait (City of Cardiff),
Matthew Clay (Swansea) and James Goddard (Stockport Metro)
put on a show despite missing Commonwealth Champion Liam Tancock,
who is competing at the World Championships (25m) in Shanghai.
Clay reversed his fortunes in Melbourne, where he finished
fourth, to beat British rival Tait and take gold in 54.93.
Olympic finalist Goddard pulled it back on the second leg
to steal the silver in 55.29 ahead of Tait, who was edged
into bronze position in 55.62. In the same event, 17-year-old
Marco Loughran of Guildford City set a new Welsh Record of
57.47.
"That felt really good," said Clay. "I've
been working on a couple of points following the Commonwealth
Games and I felt I put those right tonight. I'm not in as
good a shape as I was three weeks ago, but ironing out those
problems has seen me post another PB.
"To be honest, I can't believe two and a half weeks
after my main event, I'm getting faster all the time. It just
goes to show that all the hard work being done with Bill Pilczuk
at the Swansea programme is paying off. I'm on a roll, I feel
I'm on a real high and my swimming is benefiting as a result."
There was a close contest between Loughborough University
team mates Ros Brett and Julia Beckett in the final of the
100m Freestyle but Brett, who led the field out for the first
50m, was able to keep her lead to touch home first despite
a strong fight back from Beckett. Brett won gold in 56.54,
Beckett took silver in 56.68 and Katherine Wyld of Nova Centurion
finished in 56.73 for bronze.
Brett went on to make it a double as she swam to victory
in her second race of the evening - the 50m Butterfly. The
Loughborough swimmer touched in 27.29 to celebrate her fifth
British title in this event. City of Liverpool's Fran Halsall
set a personal best time of 27.54 for silver and Terri Dunning
(City of Birmingham) won bronze in 27.71.
"That was faster tonight than I'd expected," said
Brett. "I'm just pleased to get two wins from two events.
I hope to make the team for the Europeans and I'll look at
the future from there. I'm training better than I ever have
and really enjoying the swimming."
It was a Scottish one-two in the men's 50m Butterfly as national
record holder Todd Cooper took the title with 24.24 ahead
of countryman David Leith (City of Edinburgh) who finished
second in a personal best of 24.40. Kingston Royals' Owen
Morgan, who is the Welsh Record holder in this event, swam
in for bronze in 24.79.
Three-time British Champion Kirsty Balfour (City of Edinburgh)
made it the fourth 100m Breaststroke title of her career as
she collected gold in 1:09.26 - a clear second ahead of second
placed Kerry Buchan of South Aberdeen who won silver in 1:10.57.
""That was quite hard work considering the time,"
admitted Balfour. "I don't feel as sharp as I did in
Melbourne and that's understandable, so to get the win is
enough for me. It's hard to carry on your taper after an event
as big as the Commonwealths."
15-year-old Alexandra Warren shaved more than three tenths
of a second off her previous best to take bronze in 1:10.93.
Commonwealth bronze medallist Matt Walker set a new World
Record of 28.54 in the final of the multi-disability 50m Freestyle
to lower the previous best set by British team mate David
Roberts almost six years ago.
"At last, what a brilliant time," he said. "I
just can't believe it, but why couldn't I do it last month
at the Commonwealth Games?
"My training's been broken over the last two weeks so
to do that off that kind of preparation is pretty amazing.
Colin Hood and Neil Parsley have been doing a really good
job with me in training and I now aim to bulk up a little
more and improve on my speed."
|
