MILEY AND COOMBS RULE THE POOL
Hannah Miley took yet another Scottish record as she stormed
to victory in the 200m Individual Medley at the British Championships
in Manchester today.
Miley (Garioch), only 17, was crowned British Champion in
a race that saw her finish under 2.16.00 for the first time.
Taking the British title in 2.15.92, she was 3 seconds clear
of her nearest rival. Sophie Allen (Lincoln Vulcans) and Joanna
Andrance of France took silver and bronze in 2.18.31 and 2.18.35
respectively.
After breaking her own British 400m I.M record earlier in
the week, Miley was happy to add another record to her collection.
"I was really happy with that," said Miley. "My
main focus has been the 400m I.M, but I have been competing
in a number of 200m events across all strokes to help me to
further improve."
"It's the first time I have swum a personal best time
in the morning. It was difficult at first but as the week
has gone on, it has got easier."
Daniel Coombs (Loughborough University) finished just ahead
of France's Guy-noel Schmitt in a closely contested 200m Freestyle
final.
Coombs, who returned from the Offshore Centre in Australia
in December of last year to train with Ian Turner alongside
World Championship squad members David Carry and Ross Davenport,
held off the efforts of the Frenchman to take the gold medal
in 1.50.24.
"I am over the moon. Training at Loughborough has helped
me to take the next step up," said Coombs. "Being
in the pool with the likes of David Carry, Ross Davenport,
Euan Dale and Dean Milwain has been excellent, the standard
of training is higher"
"I am normally a 400m I.M swimmer, but I have been focusing
on freestyle in training and I'm really happy to take gold."
The French dominated the final of the women's 50m Freestyle,
with Hanna Lorgeril-Scherb and Elsa N'Guessan taking the gold
and silver medals on offer, with Georgia Heyn (Ealing) taking
the bronze medal in 26.58 - 0.91 behind the race winner.
Katy Sexton (Portsmouth Northsea) continued her winning form
by taking gold in the women's 50m Backstroke in 29.70 ahead
of Georgia Davies (Swansea Performance) and Elizabeth Longhill
(Loughborough University).
Davies, who broke her own Welsh record of 29.95 in the 50m
Backstroke heats yesterday with a time of 29.87, did it again
when she took silver in 29.81 in the final today.
Multi-Paralympic gold medallist David Roberts (Swansea Performance)
won the gold medal after finishing closest to his classifications
world record the men's MD 100m Freestyle in 1.04.38. He finished
ahead of James Crisp who set a new British record in the S9
category to take the silver in 59.78. Simon Miller took bronze
after taking the British record (S9) in the heats yesterday,
to see Crisp break it less than 24 hours later.
In the men's 50m Freestyle, David Maitre (France), Matthew
Tutty (University of Bath) and Charles Turner (Ealing) took
gold, silver and bronze respectively in a tightly fought final
that saw the eight competitors separated by only 1.21 seconds.
Rhiannon Henry (Swim Swansea) took gold in the women's MD
50m Butterfly with a time of 31.67. Kate Grey (Thornbury)
took silver in 36.15 and Elizabeth Simpkin won bronze in 36.90.
Sascha Kindred (Leominster) won gold in the men's MD 50m
Butterfly ahead of Graham Edmunds (Swansea Performance) in
34.64. Ross Clark (Durham City Aquatics) was crowned British
Champion in the men's 50m Breaststroke when he finished ahead
of Chris Jones (Swindon Dolphins) and Chris Watkinson (Loughborough
University who tied for the silver medal.
Danielle Watts (City of Oxford) won gold in the MD 100m Freestyle
in a time of 2.56.49. Heather Frederiksen (Eccles) set a new
British record in the S6 category with a time of 1.19.22 with
Rhiannon Henry (Swim Swansea) winning bronze in 1.03.35.
Ealing held of an attempted comeback by Loughborough University's
800m Freestyle team in the women's relay.
Natalie Durant, Jenna Turner, Georgina Heyn and Holly Mills
put in a fantastic performance to take the gold medal in 8.25.23,
with Loughborough taking silver in 8.28.73 followed by the
University of Bath squad who won bronze in 8.31.73.
Marco Loughran (Guildford) qualified fastest for Sunday's
200m Backstroke final after he set another Welsh record in
the heats yesterday, His time of 2.01.92 is 2 seconds faster
than the next qualifier.
The record in the 200m Backstroke means that Loughran has
broken the Welsh record in every Backstroke event at the British
Championships this week.
Jemma Lowe followed her fellow countryman's lead when she
broke the Welsh record for the 200m Backstroke in today's
semi-final. Her time of 2.01.92 sees her through as the fastest
qualifier.
She will face World Championship open water silver medallist
Cassie Patten in the final on Sunday.
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