RELAY SETS NEW BRITISH STANDARD AS U.S. RULES THE WAVES
A new British Record for the Women ' s 4x200m Freestyle
Relay team was just reward for a brave effort on day five
of the World Championships in Melbourne in a final that saw
the U.S. set their ninth World Record of the 10 already recorded
this week.
The British quartet of Caitlin McClatchey (Loughborough
University), Mel Marshall (Loughborough University), Fran
Halsall (City of Liverpool) and Jo Jackson (Derwentside) were
just outside the medals in fifth in a new best time of 7:57.02.
The U.S. never looked like relinquishing their lead and
finished in 7:50.09, silver went to Germany in 7:53.82 and
France took the bronze in 7:55.96.
" It was a great team effort but for me personally I
would have liked to have put together a faster leg, "
said Caitlin. " The girls and I gave it everything tonight
and we came away with a British Record.
" The Americans were a different class. For the rest
of the nations in that final it was really close so it ' s
exciting for the future and just 18months out from the Olympics
it shows with hard work we can be up there with the best in
Beijing. "
City of Edinburgh ' s Kirsty Balfour qualified second fastest
for tomorrow ' s final of the Women ' s 200m Breaststroke
when she chased Australian favourite Leisel Jones in her semi-final.
Balfour, already a finalist in the 100m event, went 2:25.45
and looked good as she ensured her progress to the final.
" I was aware of what time I needed to go to make the
final but I'm pleased I went under 2:26.00, " said Balfour.
" I'm happy with how I swam, it felt smooth and controlled,
and I feel there's more to come.
" I'm looking forward to the final, I'll be next to
Leisel (Jones) again and I enjoy being there. I just hope
I can get closer to her as she is an amazing talent and is
so far ahead of the rest of the world at the moment. "
Britain will also feature in the final of the Men ' s 200m
Backstroke tomorrow after James Goddard (Stockport Metro)
and Gregor Tait (City of Edinburgh) both worked their way
through today ' s heats and semi-final to make the cut.
Goddard, who has had a broken preparation, went 1:58.68
to qualify sixth fastest while Tait finished in 1:59.52 to
qualify eighth.
" It ' s been a very strange year this year and I certainly
didn ' t expect to make the final, " said Goddard. "
I ' ve had a number of weeks out of the water and at one stage
didn ' t even know if I was going to come because I didn '
t think I ' d be competitive.
" My preparation has been awful to be honest so to go
as well as that gives me a great lift. I ' ve got some hard
training ahead of me now as I look to next year ' s Olympics.
"
For Tait, who had come close to making a final in the 200m
IM earlier in the week, it was better news. " It ' s
about time I made a final. I ' ve given it a go a couple of
times so I ' m really happy about being in there tomorrow
" It was pretty close getting there but now I have I
plan to make the most of the occasion and do my best. "
City of Edinburgh ' s Kris Gilchrist went in tonight ' s
semi-finals of the Men ' s 200m Breaststroke but was unable
to qualify coming back in a disappointing 2:13.44 to finish
11th overall.
" I paid for going out too fast over the first 100m,
" said Gilchrist. " My stroke rate was too low this
morning, especially over the second 50m, and I tried to rectify
that tonight. It wasn't good enough, its that simple.
" If I'm going to compete at the Olympics I need to
get into the mix at these meets. I need to put myself up there.
"
Earlier in the day James Kirton (City of Sheffield) failed
to qualify from the heats of the breaststroke event when he
finished 22nd in 2:14.93. Halsall qualified for the Women
' s 100m Freestyle semi-final and after setting a new personal
best in the morning failed to make the final in ninth place
in 54.85.
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