SHEFFIELD'S KIRTON SETS SIGHTS ON BUDAPEST
More Brits qualified for the European Championships during
an exciting night of action in the Ponds Forge pool in Sheffield.
City of Sheffield's James Kirton set a three-second PB in
the 200m Breaststroke to qualify for the British squad bound
for Budapest later this year. The 20-year-old took an early
lead and kept off the competition to swim to victory in his
home pool and pick up his first national title.
"The confidence I got from my 100m set me up well for
tonight," he said. "I didn't expect a big PB, but
I had hoped for it. My first aim was to make the team and
anything else was just a bonus.
"Russ Barber is putting together an awesome programme
and we've got an amazing team. I'm just one of the first,
but there'll be many more to follow."
Scotland's Kris Gilchrist (City of Edinburgh) won silver
in 2:14.30 and Chris Watkinson of Loughborough University
took bronze in 2:17.05.
In the 100m Butterfly, Terri Dunning added a national title
to the bronze she won in the same event last month in Melbourne.
Her time of 59.20 seals her spot on the European team.
"I've felt tired this week, but I have to be pleased
with that," she said. "The last six weeks have just
been amazing. To come away from Melbourne with two medals
and then come here and qualify for the Europeans is all I
could ask for."
Loughborough University's Ros Brett equalled her personal
best of 59.72 for silver and 16-year-old Jemma Lowe (Borough
of Stockton) won bronze in 61.15.
Commonwealth champion Matt Clay delivered in the 50m Backstroke
to post a qualification time of 25.27. The 23-year-old, who
has reaped the benefits in the pool since moving to the British
Swimming sprint programme in Swansea, won gold ahead of Andrew
Shepherd (City of Sheffield) and 17-year-old Marco Loughran
(Guildford City) who set a new Welsh Record of 26.95.
"I felt very good in the warm-up but I think I tried
a bit too hard tonight," admitted Clay. "My starts
haven't been too good all week, but I've been working on them
and felt like I got off to a good start tonight.
"On the way down the pool I didn't feel I was relaxed
enough. It's still the second fastest time I've ever posted
and considering what I've done over the past two months I'll
take a lot from that as I prepare for the Europeans."
Kirsty Balfour celebrated a new British Record as she swam
to victory in the 50m Breaststroke. The City of Edinburgh
swimmer clocked 32.13 to take gold ahead of Wrexham's Lowri
Turner and Kerry Buchan of South Aberdeen, who lowered their
personal bests to 32.77 and 32.95 respectively for silver
and bronze.
"I use the 50m as speed work for the longer events,"
said Balfour. "But to get a PB and a victory is very
nice. I'll have to see whether I add it to my European programme
as it's really a tool to help my speed work, but swims like
that will certainly help my main events."
Former world champion Katy Sexton (Portsmouth Northsea) benefited
from experience in a 100m Backstroke race that saw her face
teenage talents Lizzie Simmonds (Lincoln Vulcans) and Fran
Halsall (City of Liverpool). Sexton posted a time of 1:02.25
for gold, Simmonds touched second in 1:02.68 and Halsall was
third with 1:02.96.
"I'm ten years older than some of those swimmers and
I used all that experience in what was a really tight race
to make sure I was first to the wall," said Sexton. "This
meet's been hard off the back of the Commonwealth Games but
I felt better tonight and I looked a little sharper.
"I've had a lot of set-backs, but I'm swimming with
all I've got and at the moment I'm trying to build on that
for the future."
In the 200m Butterfly, Loughborough University's Joe Roebuck
added a second title to his Sheffield haul with gold in the
200m Butterfly. Pulling away from the field in the back end,
Roebuck finished almost two seconds ahead of the pack for
a lifetime best of 1:58.11. Beckenham's Mark Lewis won silver
in 1:59.95 and Michael Rock of City of Liverpool picked up
bronze in 2:01.57.
"This week's just getting better for me," said
a delighted Roebuck. "Another PB and another gold medal.
I was hoping to go under 1:58 but I know that will come.
"I've got the 400m IM later on in the week and then
I'll sit down with my coach Ian Armiger to plan my preparations
for the Europeans."
Joanne Jackson of Durham University Aquatics swam to gold
in the 200m Freestyle with a time of 2:00.52, while Fran Halsall
collected her second medal of the evening with silver in 2:00.85
and Rebecca Adlington, who won the 800m event earlier this
week, picked up bronze in 2:01.34.
"I always knew it was going to be a close race,"
admitted Jackson. "The likes of Fran Halsall have been
swimming well all week.
"It's slower than I would have liked but I feel pretty
run down and I have a cold. I'm just looking forward to finishing
this week and then setting down my training ahead of the Europeans."
In this evening's semi-finals, Terri Dunning and City of
Birmingham team mate Sophie Caul are fastest two through in
the 200m Individual Medley and Euan Dale (Loughborough University)
qualified fastest for the 200m Freestyle.
In the multi-disability events James Crisp of City of Sheffield
set a new British Record of 31.16 in the S9 50m Backstroke.
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