RECORDS BROKEN AS SWIMMERS TAKE STEP CLOSER TO BEIJING
The third day of the British Swimming Championships (50m)
saw three Commonwealth records broken and nine more athletes
achieve the qualifying standard for nomination to the British
Olympic squad.
In order to make the Olympic team, athletes must finish in
first or second place in the final of their event and have
met the FINA 'A' time for that event in the heat.
The Commonwealth and British record was lowered for the third
time in just two days in the men's 200m Individual Medley.
Loughborough University swimmers James Goddard and Liam Tancock
went into this final with almost a second separating their
qualifying times.
With the other athletes that had met the FINA 'A' time dropping
out Goddard and Tancock were swimming to ensure they achieved
the top two spots.
Tancock started the strongest and touched first ahead of
Goddard at the end of the first 50m, going into the Backstroke
leg Goddard used his power to close the gap on the record
holder and push him all the way.
They turned for the penultimate lap inside British record
time and Goddard fought hard to close in on Tancock. In the
final 50m Goddard pushed on to over take Tancock and took
the Commonwealth and British record after touching home in
1:57.72.
"I am a much stronger person than I was in 2004,"
Goddard said. "I feel like I am showing that this week
with my swimming. That was a really great race. Liam pushed
me all the way and that helped us both achieve some really
good times. I felt quite nervous coming into Sheffield this
week so it is a huge relief to qualify for the Olympics."
Tancock was unable to re-claim his record and had to settle
for second place in a time of 1:57.96.
The bronze medal went to Michael Jamieson (City of Edinburgh)
who finished in a time of 2:03.96.
The oldest competitor at the British Championships, Mark
Foster, took to the water in the men's 50m Freestyle knowing
that he was the only athlete to have met FINA 'A' qualifying
time.
The Bath University swimmer Foster had some tough competition
in the final from Simon Burnett (Windsor) and Matthew Tutty
(Bath University), who wanted to go out faster than in the
heats.
Foster was pushed all the way but took the gold medal after
touching home in 22.30, Burnett took silver in 22.38 and bronze
went to 22.46.
Foster will now see himself nominated for selection to the
British Olympic squad, this will be his fifth Olympic Games
and could see him become one of the oldest competitor at this
year's Olympics.
"I am delighted to have come here and qualify for another
Olympics," Foster said. "My preparations have always
been geared towards the World Championships and to go so close
to my fastest time is no small mean feat.
"I felt much more relaxed than I did yesterday and I
knew today was always going to be about being in the race
and trying to get to the wall first and that is what I did."
The men's 100m Breaststroke saw three men fighting it out
for the top two spots to confirm their nomination to the British
Olympic squad.
City of Newcastle swimmer Chris Cook controlled the pace
over the first 50m and he turned within the Commonwealth record
time, he was looking in good form throughout the final. James
Gibson (Loughborough University) was close behind Cook at
the turn, with Kris Gilchrist (City of Edinburgh) turned in
third place.
Cook extended his lead in the final 25m and secured his gold
medal with a time of 59.88, this also smashed the previous
Commonwealth record by almost half a second.
"I have had a very quiet year and I am absolute;ly thrilled
at that time. It is a massive PB and Commonwealth record.
Today was always going to be difficult with a good group of
guys going for just two places. There was a lot of pressure
out there but I just stuck to my plan and I am chuffed to
bits to have made the time and to also have
The fight for second place heated up in the final 10m with
Gilchrist closing in on Gibson, the City of Edinburgh swimmer
showed his power as he claimed the silver medal in 1:01.06
ahead of Gibson who had to settle for bronze with a time of
1:01.36.
After two athletes met the FINA 'A' qualifying time in the
heats of the women's 400m Freestyle they both knew they had
a tough battle on their hands for the top two spots.
Rebecca Adlington went into this morning's final as the fastest
qualifier after breaking the British record in the heats.
The Nova Centurion swimmer looked confident from the start
and gained a significant lead over her closest rival Joanne
Jackson (Derwentside) after 250m where Adlington began pulling
away.
Adlington, who was pushed on by the noise from the supporters,
turned for the final 50m in the lead and within the Commonwealth
record time. She broke the record by almost half a second
after finishing with a time of 4:04.50.
"That felt a lot better than yesterday which helped
me to drop the record even further," she said. "To
do that as a morning swim gives me a lot of confidence. I
desperately wanted to go faster today and it all looks really
good for my 800m event. I have never really thought about
the 400m event but that has all certainly changed after this
week."
Jackson finished well to ensure her second spot and the silver
medal after finishing in 4:08.75.
Loughborough University's Caitlin McClatchey claimed the
bronze medal touching in 4:14.77.
With four women meeting the FINA 'A' qualifying time in the
100m Backstroke competition for the top two spots was tough.
It was British record holder Gemma Spofforth (Portsmouth)
that had the best start and after touching first for the first
50m she looked on course to break her British record for the
second time in two days.
Elizabeth Simmonds was close behind Spofforth on the turn
and began closing the gap in the final 50m. But Spofforth's
finish was too much for Simmonds and she took the gold in
59.90.
The Lincoln Vulcans swimmer Simmonds showed her determination
as she fought off the challenge of Mel Marshall (Loughborough
University) and Katy Sexton (Portsmouth) to take second place
in the race. She touched in 1:00.66 and at 17-years-old finds
herself up for nomination to this year's Olympic squad.
Bronze was claimed by Sexton who finished in 1:01.56.
The athletes being nominated for selection to this
year's Olympic squad are:
David Carry (Aberdeen Dolphins) - 400m Freestyle
Dean Milwain (Loughborough University) - 400m Freestyle
Jemma Lowe (Borough of Stockton) - 200m Butterfly
Ellen Gandy (Beckenham) - 200m Butterfly
Gregor Tait (City of Edinburgh) - 100m Backstroke
Caitlin McClatchey (Loughborough University) - 100m Freestyle
Fran Halsall (City of Liverpool) - 100m Freestyle James Goddard
(Loughborough University) - 200m IM Liam Tancock (Loughborough
University) - 200m IM Rebecca Adlington (Nova centurion) -
400m Freestyle Joanne Jackson (Derwentside) - 400m Freestyle
Mark Foster (Bath University) - 50m Freestyle Gemma Spofforth
(Portsmouth) - 100m Backstroke Elizabeth Simmonds (Lincoln
Vulcans) - 100m Backstroke Chris Cook (City of Newcastle)
- 100m Breaststroke Kristopher Gilchrist (City of Edinburgh)
- 100m Breaststroke
The three athletes that have already been pre-selected
for the British Olympic squad are:
Liam Tancock (Loughborough University) - 100m Backstroke
David Davies (City of Cardiff) - 1,500m Freestyle
Kirsty Balfour (City of Edinburgh) - 200m Breaststroke
The British Championships (50m) 2008 will take place at Ponds
Forge Sheffield between 31st March - 6th April.
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