ADLINGTON TAKES GOLD AS SHE CHASES BRITISH RECORD
Nova Centurion swimmer Rebecca Adlington brought the crowd
to its feet at the ASA National Championships (50m) in Sheffield
when she lead an assault on one of the oldest standing British
Records in the Women's 800m Freestyle.
Adlington set a lifetime best of 8:25.73 and nearly eclipsed
the standard of 8:24.77 set by Sarah Hardcastle back in 1986
to take the gold in front of a crowd at Ponds Forge that cheered
her all the way to the wall.
Jo Jackson (Derwentside) took the silver in a best time of
8:30.32 and Becky Cooke (City of Glasgow) took the bronze
in 8:32.73
"That swim was hard but it felt so good when I looked
up to see the time," said Adlington who bettered her
previous best by over two seconds.
"Throughout the race all I could see was Jo (Jackson)
alongside me so I just kept pushing hard.
"I really wanted to get the title, it was a strong field
and it means a lot to me. I'm off to Paris next and looking
to go out hard again and hopefully swim faster."
In the 16/17 years Butterfly Jemma Lowe (Borough of Stockton)
set a new British Record to win in 58.91. Silver went to club
team-mate Jess Dickons in 1:00.62 while bronze went to Emma
Smithurst of Derventio in 1:02.48.
"I'm just so pleased with that swim," said Lowe.
"It's such an amazing feeling to get that record. I know
I've been swimming well recently and I've been getting good
times in training so I was hoping to go fast today.
"It's my second medal of the event and I'm feeling great.
Not only was it an age group record to actually get the British
Record is a massive achievement. It gives me great confidence
going into events in Paris and Japan next month."
Lowe lowered this standard yet again in the semi-finals of
the senior event when she won her race in 58.73 with just
two hours between the two events. In the same semi-final Fran
Halsall (City of Liverpool) set a new age group record.
James Goddard (Stockport Metro) swam a lifetime best in the
Men's 200m IM when he touched first in 2:00.13, a second-and-a-half
faster than his previous best, to take gold. Silver went to
Euan Dale of Loughborough University in 2:01.51 and Gregor
Tait (City of Edinburgh) was third in 2:02.87.
"I've been really focused recently and it's paying off
for me. Going into the race my coach said just go for it and
I did. Once I saw I was ahead I just kept my pace up,"
said Goddard.
"I know I have the potential to go under two minutes
but I'm really happy with that time. I think I can go faster
and that is my aim for Paris next week and that swim gives
me a boost to do that.
"I've been at Loughborough University for about five
months and my coach Ian Turner and I are working on getting
more power in my swims and improving my endurance at the same
time."
In the Men's 100m Freestyle Simon Burnett (Wycombe) put in
a strong yet controlled swim to take gold in 49.10 from Ben
Hockin (Swansea Performance) in a best time of 49.77 and Ross
Davenport (Loughborough University) was third in 50.07.
"My target was to go under 49 seconds. I am really pleased
but it should have been faster. My legs are really tired and
I am thinking maybe I'm not rested enough," said Burnett.
"It was faster than the World Championships which is
good though. The first half of the season has been hard but
I'm finding my direction and feeling stronger so I'm hopefully
coming back and building confidence."
The Men's 800m Freestyle saw Daniel Fogg from Loughborough
University come through to win in 8:16.36 from Michael Unsworth,
also from Loughborough, in 8:19.65 and bronze went to Daniel
Mills of Nova Centurion in 8:22.57.
In the Multi Disability events Emma Cattle of Luton took
the 100m Backstroke title in 1:16.52 (S10), silver went to
Claire Cashmore of Kelly College in 1:17.26 (S9), and Kate
Grey of Thornbury took the bronze in 1:19.74.
The Men's event saw gold go to David Hill of Kelly College
in a time of 1:07.92 (S9), silver went in a British Record
time of 1:10.66 (S13) to Dave Ellis of Derventio and Shane
Scullion of Portsmouth Northsea took the bronze in 1:11.42
(S10).
"I'm happy with my time, I went much faster than my
heats which is always pleasing," said Ellis. "I
felt much quicker in the water and I was always hopeful for
a record."
Thomas Young (Carnforth) set his second British Record of
the day when he went 1:19.78 (S8) in the final after setting
a new standard in the earlier heat also.
"I'm really pleased it's been a great day, I've now
been training in high performance centre in Swansea for three
weeks and already it's paying off. I've improved my stroke
and I'm looking forward to the future, 2008 and 2012."
British Records fell in the final of the Multi Disability
Women's 50m Breaststroke with Louise Watkin and Claire Cashmore
(both Kelly College) returning home in 40.38 (SB9) and 40.45
(SB8) respectively.
Gold went to Liz Johnson of Swansea Performance in 47.64
(S6), Charlotte Henshaw of Nova Centurion took the silver
in 47.81 (S6) and Cashmore took the bronze.
In the men's event Sam Hynd of Nova Centurion stepped up
with a new standard of 36.44 in the 50m Breaststroke (SB8)
final to take gold, silver went to David Yates of Abingdon
Vale.
Rebecca Turner of City of Sheffield won the 14/15 years 200m
Freestyle final in 2:02.87, with Robyn Matthews of City of
Edinburgh with the silver in 2:05.22 and Lucy Worrall City
of Chester took the bronze in 2:05.51.
Jemma Lowe (Borough of Stockton) took gold in the 200m Freestyle
16/17 years in 2:03.16, Sasha Matthew of Nova Centurion grabbed
the silver in 2:03.87 and bronze went to Karlien Van Heerden
of South Africa in 2:03.96.
Andrew Willis of Bracknell took the 15/16 years title in
the 200m Breaststroke when he won in 2:20.80. Douglas Scott
of Eastkilbride took the silver in 2:21.48 and Nicholas Tawn
of Carnforth grabbed the bronze in 2:23.69.
The men's 17/18 years 200m Breaststroke title went to Robert
Holderness of Millfield in 2:18.42, James Johnson of City
of Newcastle took the silver in 2:18.80 and Michael Jamieson
of City of Edinburgh took the bronze in 2:19.16.
Alexandra Hooper of City of Birmingham took the gold in the
Women's 14/15 years 100m Backstroke final in 1:04.20, Zoe
Hester of Plymouth Leander took the silver in 1:05.00 and
Katherine Venters of Kirklees came home with the bronze in
1:05.11.
In the 16/17 years category it was gold for Gerogia Davies
of Swansea Performance in 1:03.29, silver went to Lauren Collins
of City of Birmingham in 1:03.81 and Aisling Cooney of Ireland
took bronze in 1:04.09.
In the Men's 15/16 years 200m Butterfly it was gold for Karl
Botha of City of Canterbury in 2:04.79 while silver went to
Oliver Summers of Portsmouth Northsea in 2:07.41. Bronze went
to Andrew Winspear of Stockton in 2:07.72.
Stuart Houston (Stirling Swim) took gold in the Men's 17/18
years 200m Butterfly in a time of 2:01.84, silver went to
Peter Thompson of Middlesboro in 2:02.35 and bronze went to
Adam Mallett of Lincoln Vulcans in 2:03.55.
Winner of the Women's 14/15 years 100m Butterfly was Olivia
Sefton of Derventio in 1:01.68, silver went to Sophie Allen
of Millfield in 1:03.72 and bronze went to Kristina Paige
of Reading in 1:03.90.
British age group records went to Ellen Gandy (Beckenham)
in the semi-final of the Women's 200m Freestyle and Lizzie
Simmonds (Lincoln Vulcans in the semi-finals of the Women's
100m Backstroke.
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