RECORD BREAKING START TO BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIPS
The first day of the British Swimming Championships (50m)
saw two British records smashed in the heats of the women's
200m Butterfly and 100m Freestyle.
The first British record of the day was taken in the women's
200m Butterfly heats and the final may prove the closest contest
of tomorrow after four athletes met the FINA 'A' qualifying
time in their heats.
Ellen Gandy (Beckenham), Hannah Miley (Garioch), Jessica
Dickons (Borough of Stockton) and Jemma Lowe (Borough of Stockton)
all put in quick times to keep meet the qualifying standard
and the athletes now need to place in first or second in tomorrow's
final.
However, it was Lowe that went out the hardest in the heats,
she took the lead from the start and kept her pace throughout
to finish in a new British record time of 2:06.64.
"I wasn't expecting that at all it just felt like a
normal paced swim," she said. "It felt quite comfortable
and I just didn't expect it."
Gandy won her heat with a quick time of 2:08.88, she finished
ahead of Miley who took second place with a time of 2:09.06.
Dickons touched home and won her heat with a time of 2:09.89.
Loughborough University's Caitlin McClatchey took the second
British record of the day in the women's 100m Freestyle, she
looked comfortable throughout the heat and kept her pace high
to meet the FINA 'A' qualifying time and finished in 54.31.
She also qualified as the fastest athlete for tomorrow's final.
"I am really pleased with that I was after the qualifying
time but didn't expect the record aswell," McClatchey
said. "I have been swimming well and am looking forward
to the rest of the week."
Fran Halsall (City of Liverpool) was the second fastest to
qualify for the final after winning her heat with a time of
54.88 - also meeting the vital qualifying time.
The men's 400m Freestyle heats saw three men reach the FINA
'A' qualifying time, Dean Milwain (Loughborough University),
David Davies (City of Cardiff) and David Carry (Aberdeen Dolphins).
Davies was the first to meet the qualifying time with a personal
best time of 3:49.30 seconds in heat number five, the Olympic
medallist led from the start and finished strongly to put
himself in a good position for tomorrow's final.
The last heat saw Milwain and Carry both secure the qualifying
time in the final heat, the athletes kept the pace high throughout
the race but at 200m Milwain began pulling away and secured
the fastest time overall finishing in 4:48.40. Carry finished
as third fastest overall with a time of 4:49.92.
Three men met the FINA 'A' qualifying time in the men's 100m
Backstroke, Marco Loughran (Guildford City) swam an impressive
heat and became the first to meet the time finishing in 54.40.
Gregor Tait (City of Edinburgh) was the second athlete to
meet the required time and also won his heat with a promising
time of 54.24.
Swansea Performance's Matt Clay became the fastest qualifier
when he won his heat with a time of 54.20.
|
