TANCOCK ADDS TO BRITISH MEDAL HAUL
Liam Tancock claimed his third World Championship (25m) medal
in the men's 50m Backstroke at the World Swimming Championships
(25m) in Manchester.
On the penultimate day of competition, Britain claimed another
three medals to take the already impressive medal tally to
three gold, nine silver and seven bronze medals.
Tancock went into the final of the men's 50m Backstroke as
the fastest athlete and entered the race hungry for more success.
The British record holder had a strong start as he powered
through his first 25m, he performed an excellent turn but
it was America's Peter Marshall that turned best to take the
lead going into the final 10m.
Marshall touched first to claim a new Championship record
and the gold medal in a time of 23.49.
The sprint specialist, Tancock, took his second silver medal
of the competition in a time of 23.53 just outside of his
British record.
"You never know where you are on a 50m race, you just
give it everything and hope you get it on the touch,"
Tancock said. "I didn't know which way it had gone until
I looked up. It's great to get another medal in what has been
an amazing week."
The bronze medal went to Australia's Ashley Delaney in a
time of 23.57.
Britain's Hannah Miley continued her good form in a final
that broke the oldest short course world record on the books.
Swimming in the women's 200m Individual Medley both Elizabeth
Simmonds and Hannah Miley showed their all-round ability as
they looked promising throughout this evening's final.
Miley suffered from a poor start as she found herself in
7th position after 50m, but the young swimmer held her own
and showed her strength in the backstroke leg as she moved
up to third place.
Zimbabwe's world record breaker Kirsty Coventry took an early
lead and at the 100m was almost 3 seconds inside world record
time. Coventry remained in the lead throughout and touched
in a time of 2:06.13 to take over a second off the oldest
short course world record.
Miley kept up her pace and touched in a time of 2:08.79 to
lower the British record she had set in this morning's heats
by another second. She claimed the bronze medal which is her
second medal of the competition.
"Another medal is just phenomenal," Miley said.
"The 200m is quite challenging for me. For the longer
400m I go out at a pace and hold it but this is something
else. It's such a fast race and to lower another record is
pleasing. The 200m will help my 400 and Kirsty has been an
absolute inspiration to me."
The silver medal was taken by Mirela belmonte (Spain) in
a time of 2:07.47.
Simmonds, who was swimming in her second race of the evening,
swam well to take almost five seconds off her personal best
time and finished in fifth place in a time of 2:09.24
The final of the women's 4x100m Freestyle saw the swimmers
claim Britain's third medal of the day as they claimed bronze
in another world record breaking final.
Fran Halsall celebrated her 18th birthday by giving the team
the perfect start as she swam her leg in a time of 52.36 to
give the girls the lead and a time that meant they were inside
the world record.
As Caitlin McClatchey took over the girls looked in a good
medal position and she completed her 100m in a time of 53.25
to remain in the lead. But as Julia Beckett took over the
power of the Netherland's Olympic medallist Inge Dekker was
too much and the British team fell to second place.
In the final leg, Britain's Mel Marshall had to fight against
the power of world record holder Marleen Veldhuis (Netherlands).
Marshall struggled to close the gap on Veldhuis as she was
turning well inside world record time.
The Netherlands team touched in a time of 3:29.42 to take
a second off the previous world record time.
The silver medal went to the Australians after they finished
in a time of 3:32.00.
The British team took the bronze medal in a time of 3:32.88
to break the British record by four seconds.
"That felt great and a four second drop on the British
record is impressive," Marshall said. "It has been
a great week for British swimming but we shouldn't get carried
away. It is going to be so different come the Olympics, it
is long course and the rest of the world will be there."
The final of the men's 50m Butterfly saw Mark Foster fighting
to claim his 8th World short course medal.
The British record holder started well but as he entered
the final 10m he found himself behind the world number one,
Adam Pine (Australia), and Foster touched in fifth place in
a time of 23.04.
"It would have been nice to come away with another medal
but I've not been working on my fly so I have no complaints,"
Foster said. "Butterfly is all about rhythm and I've
not done any work on it as my focus has been the Freestyle."
The women's 100m Breaststroke saw Kate Haywood stumble after
an excellent start in the final. The British record holder
touched after the first 50m in fourth place but found that
the pace was too much for her as she touched in a time of
1:06.35 to finish in 7th place overall.
Liam Tancock took part in his second race of the evening
in the men's 100m Individual Medley and as he showed no signs
of fatigue he smashed both the European and the British record.
The world record holder enjoyed an excellent start as he
showed his all round ability, he was in the lead throughout
and touched in a time of 52.27 as he also took the Championship
record.
Ryan Lochte (USA) swam in the second semi-final and as he
took to the water he looked powerful throughout and carved
out an exellent lead after the first 50m. The Olympic medallist
touched in a time of 51.25 to take over a second off the previous
world standard.
The semi-finals of the women's 100m Butterfly saw both Jemma
Lowe and Ellen Gandy make it into tomorrow evening's final.
Gandy swam in the first semi-final and touched in a time of
58.39 to set a new personal best time for the 16-year-old.
Lowe swam an excellent race and finished second to smash
the British record in her semi-final. She touched in time
of 56.99 to take almost two seconds off the previous national
best.
"This morning was sluggish but that felt much better,"
Lowe said. "I just went for it, I had nothing to lose.
It's anyone's race tomorrow but I feel much better after that."
Fran Halsall became the fastest qualifier for the final of
the women's 50m Freestyle. She competed in the first semi-final
as she swam excellently to win the race in a time of 24.30.
The second semi-final saw Amy Smith fail to make it into
the final after touching in 25.39 to finish in 15th place
overall.
Elizabeth Simmonds proceeded to the final of the women's
50m Backstroke after lowering the British record twice in
one day. Simmonds shaved almost half a second off the previous
national standard. She touched in a time of 27.55 to go into
tomorrow evening's final.
Ben Hockin missed out on a place in the final of the men's
100m Freestyle after touching in a time of 48.47 to finish
in 15th place overall.
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