British swimmers continued to thrill crowds on day four of the British Summer Championships in Sheffield with standout swims from James Wilby and Jessica Fullalove, while Hannah Russell lowered her own British Record.
Wilby looked in strong form going out fast in the first 50m of the Men’s 19yrs+ 100m Breaststroke to take gold ahead of a chasing Christopher Steeples (City of Manchester) and Lawrence Palmer (Putteridge).
After the race, the Loughborough University swimmer and silver medallist at the recent World University Games, said: “I am happy with swim. I improved on my heats swim and wasn’t far off my PB so it I can’t complain.
“The guys in that final are so fast so it was a case of focusing on the wall at the end and just driving towards it.
“Travelling to the World University Games and competing that far away from home was an amazing experience and I’m really happy that I was able to perform so well.”
Charlie Atwood looked confident as he held on to his early lead to win gold in the 17/18yrs 100m Breaststroke. Silver went to City of Oxford’s David Murphy with Cockermouth’s Edward Baxter touching the wall to win bronze.
In equally impressive style, Jessica Fullalove dominated the Women’s 19yrs 200m Backstroke extending her lead with every stroke in the final 50 metres. The City of Manchester Aquatics swimmer won gold ahead of Chloe Hannam (City of Peterborough) and Jaeger Turner (City of Salford).
After the race, a motivated Fullalove said: “It was a really good race, I wanted to go a little quicker but I am really happy to have set a new PB.
“Over the last four years I have had incredible experiences at the Youth Olympics Games and World Juniors so I’m looking forward to a break before heading into the 2016 season.
“Rio is definitely something I am thinking about and I am going to put myself in the best position I can to get there.”
“The guys in that final are so fast so it was a case of focusing on the wall at the end and just driving towards it,"
- James Wilby
In the Women’s 19+yrs 200m Butterfly there was a tight race for gold. Bath University’s Tilly Gray went out hard and at the half-way mark had edged in front of Alys Thomas, but it was the Swansea Aquatics swimmer’s back-end speed that sealed gold. A late challenge for silver from Emma Smithurst (City of Manchester Aquatics) pushed Gray into third place.
Blackpool Aquatics swimmer Shauntelle Austin’s strong third 50 metres saw her move through the ranks and extend a lead over the field in the final stages of the race to win gold in the 17/18yrs 200m Butterfly with Brearnna Close (Stockport Metro) and Abigail Humphries (City of Coventry) second and third respectively.
It was a tight race for gold in the Men’s 19+yrs 100m Freestyle. At the half way mark, seven swimmers were all within one second of each other but it was Bath University’s Miles Munro who found an extra burst of energy in the final 15 metres of the race to win gold.
After the race, an elated Munro said: “That was an awesome race. The guys were a little bit ahead of me at the turn but in the back end I gave it everything I had.
“I have taken my PB down by over a second over the past year and I’m really happy to have dipped under the 50 seconds mark; all that training has paid off.”
Edinburgh University’s Jack Thorpe took second while University of Stirling’s Jak Scott touched the wall for bronze.
“Rio is definitely something I am thinking about and I am going to put myself in the best position I can to get there,"
- Jessica Fullalove
Hannah Russell, who won gold at the IPC World Championships earlier this month, showed no signs of slowing down, lowering her own S12 British Record to win gold in the Women’s MC 50m Freestyle, with Amy Marren (Romford Town, S9) and Eleanor Robinson (Northampton, S6) taking silver and bronze respectively.
In the Men’s race, City of Manchester’s Matthew Walker (S7) secured the gold with City of Sunderland teammates Matthew Wylie (S9) touching for second and Josef Craig (S8) for third.
IPC World Champion Sascha Kindred (SM6, City of Hereford) won the MC 200m IM final ahead of Thomas Hamer (City of Manchester Aquatics, SM14) and Craig Harris (Swansea Aquatics, SM14), while Norwich’s Jessica-Jane Applegate (SM14), took gold in the Women’s race ahead of Chloe Davis (Swansea Aquatics, SM14) and Amy Marren (SM9).
Looking ahead to the 2016 season Jessica-Jane Applegate said: “I didn’t get off to the best start in that race so I’m really happy with that time.
“I’ve had an incredible season and have been racing now for a whole month so I am looking forward to having a break and then getting back into the pool to work towards Rio.”
The Men’s 19yrs 50m Butterfly went right down to wire but it was City of Sunderland’s Adam Taylor who touched the wall first ahead of Loughborough University teammates Adam Fawl and Kane Hagget.
Thomas Sinclair (Aquae Sulis) inched ahead of the field to take the win in the Men’s 17/18yrs 50m Butterfly ahead of City of Salford’s Lewis Clough, with Cockermouth’s Luke Greenbank taking bronze from the outside lane.
Sarah Vasey (Derventio) was able to hold on for gold in the Women’s 19yrs+ 50m Breaststroke ahead of Commonwealth bronze medallist Corrie Scott (University of Edinburgh), and City of Liverpool’s Georgia Evans. In the 17/18yrs final, Beth Aitchison set a new lifetime best as she touched first to win gold ahead of Stockport Metro’s Katie Matts and Highland’s Kara Hanlon.
In other events, Imogen Clark won gold in the Women’s 16yrs 50m Breaststroke overwhelming the field and setting a new British Age Group Record of 31.04. Wirral Metro’s Freya Anderson won gold in the Women’s 13/14yrs 50m Breaststroke only 0.3 ahead of the next place swimmer. In a similarly close race in the 15yrs 50m Breaststroke with Layla Black (City of Leeds) winning gold.
Daniel Savage won gold in the 15yrs 50m Butterfly setting a new British 14yrs Age Group Record of 25.24. City of Sheffield’s Cameron Brooks-Clarke took gold in his home pool setting a new personal best in the Men’s 16yrs 50m Fly, while Sam Dailley took gold in the Men’s 13/14yrs 50m Fly in new personal best.
Tazmin Pugh secured gold in the 15yrs 200m Fly to claim a clean sweep of the Butterfly golds. Pugh led by a body length at the half way mark and was able to maintain this distance ahead of the field by the final touch. Keanna Macinnes (Heart of Midlothian) went out hard in the opening stages of the 13/14yrs 200m Fly and was able to hold on to this early lead to win gold. In the 16yrs 200m Fly, Holly Hibbot touched third with 150 metres to go but the Stockport Metro swimmer dug deep, moving through the ranks to take victory.
In the Womens 13/14yrs 200m Backstroke gold went to Lily Boseley. The Nova Centurion swimmer controlled the race from the start winning gold in a new lifetime best. City of Derby’s Bethany Newton was able to find an extra gear in the final metres of the Women’s 16yrs 200m Backstroke to take victory while Tamzin Pugh (Ellesmere College) won her second gold of the night in the 15yrs 200m Backstroke.
Plymouth Leander’s Dailley also claimed his second gold of the night, swimming inside the lifetime best he posted in this morning’s heat to win the 13/14yrs 100m Freestyle. Lewis Burras (Southport) also set a new personal best as he dominated the 15yrs 100m Freestyle winning gold by almost two seconds. In the 16yrs 100m Freestyle, there was little separating all ten swimmers with 15 metres to go but Soundwell’s William Cole was able to push through the field and clinch victory.
Mount Kelly’s Oliver Taverner, gold medallist in the 50m Breaststroke, set a new personal best as he added the 13/14yrs 100m Breaststroke title to his name. The top three swimmers in the 15yrs 100m Breaststroke were stroke for stroke with 25 metres to go but it was Lewis Fraser (Swansea Aquatics) who dug deep in the final stages of the race to clinch gold. In the 16yrs 100m Breaststroke there was an equally thrilling race for gold as Millfield’s Joshua Lawson won gold on the touch.
In the final events of the evening it was team glory for Stockport Metro in the Women’s 14/16 yrs 800m Free Relay while City of Sheffield topped the podium in the Women’s 17/over 800m Free Relay.