Swimming Results

4/5 September 2010 - Sunderland Aquatic Centre

The final day of competition saw some nail biting finishes as defending champions England Central retain their title for the third year in a row with 258 points in the team competition. Strong performances from the team, including a decisive Boys’ 400m Medley relay, saw them finish six points clear of hosts England North.

Team Captain Adam Rowe commented: “We came here wanting to win and we knew it would be tough so it’s great to be champions again. All of us get on really well together and there is a great team spirit amongst us. The last race was dramatic and we weren’t sure if we were going to win but it’s been a good weekend for everyone and we’re going home happy!”

But it wasn’t just England Central who experienced success: England South’s Joseph Patching won his second Individual Medley gold for his team as he swam over 200m in a time of 2:10.55.

The 16-year-old swimmer took to the blocks confidently and led the race from the start eventually touching in 2:10.55, nearly two seconds ahead of second place. Silver went to Thomas Barton (England North) with bronze going to Euan Inglis (Scotland Northwest).

“I’m very happy with my results here,” said Patching. “I gave it my all and to get two gold in two days here is great. I’ve come into this meet well rested, I haven’t been training hard since the Youth Champs and this is a nice way to get back into it. My season goes on from here so hopefully I’ll be able to build from this.”

Amelia Maughan secured her second individual gold and Games record in the Girls’ 100m Freestyle. The England South swimmer touched in a time of 57.88 ahead of Stephanie Blakeburn (England North) and Hayley Williams (England Central).

“Everyone’s support has really helped me to swim well this weekend,” said Maughan. “I’ve moved to Bath to train and it’s going great. It’s a fantastic club and I really love it.”

Some of Britain’s best young swimmers took to the blocks as action got underway at the Sunderland Aquatic Centre.

Video (1m 03s flashplayer required) - oaths at the Opening Ceremony.

Swimming sensation Amelia Maughan, swimming for England South, claimed a new Games record in the Girls’ 50m Freestyle with a time of 26.38.

A faulty start meant that the swimmers had to take to the blocks for a second time but the disruption did nothing to deter the experienced Maughan who swam to a clear victory over the rest of the field.

Hayley Williams, swimming for England Central, claimed silver in 27.48 with bronze going to Scotland North West’s Riona Plowman in a time of 27.85.

“I’m over the moon with that,” said an excited Maughan. “I haven’t really been training and I was on holiday the week before so to come here and set a new PB and get the Games record was amazing.”

Speaking of the start she added: “It’s the first time I’ve ever had a start like that: I didn’t know what was happening! I’m really pleased I was able to stay focussed. I could feel the lactate building up in my legs but I was still hyped up and ready for the race.”

Disability events

On the final day of the Championships at the Sunderland Aquatic Centre, the Men’s MD 100m Backstroke Gold went to David Hill (Bath University, S9) in 1:07.07 (842 points) with bronze and silver going to Craig Rodgie (Carnegie, S14) and Jack Thomas (Swansea, S14) respectively. Alfie Goldsmith had set a new British record in the morning and took a further four hundredths of a second off the marker in the final. The Black Lion swimmer wasn’t quick enough to medal in the multi-disability point however with his time of 1:07.49 (697 points) putting him in fourth.

Kelly College’s Jan Langton (S6) swam to silver in the Women’s MD 50m Butterfly. Susannah Rodgers (Otter, S7) won gold in a time of 40.38 (622) and Claire Warne (Team Luton, S6) finished third.

Millfield’s Matthew Shead claimed silver in the Sunderland Aquatic Centre in a time of 28.75 as Daniel Sliwinski (Gallica) proved too fast for the rest of the field and comfortably won the Men’s 50m Breaststroke final to add to the gold medal he won in the 100m Breaststroke on Monday. 20-year-old Sliwinski, who has only been back in the water for four weeks after breaking his wrist in May, touched in a new personal best time of 27.97.

“My aim here was to try to go under 28 seconds and considering my injury in May I'm delighted with that,” said Sliwinski. “The 50m is my fun event and I'll turn my attention to tomorrow's 200m now where I could make it three gold from the three breaststroke events. I didn't have the best start but recovered well and finished strongly but The time was a good personal best and more importantly it shows I'm back in shape after my injury and it gives me confidence for Delhi.“

Ross Clark (Dundee) took bronze in 29.47.

View video highlights from Day 3

The Women’s 50m Freestyle final saw a tight finish with little to separate the field with 15m to go. Ealing’s Georgia Heyn equalled her personal best of 26.05 to take gold as Jessica Lloyd (City of Manchester) claimed silver in a personal best of 26.33. Bronze went to Emma Wilkins (Plymouth Leander) in a time of 26.38.

Britain’s Rachael Kelly and Ellie Faulkner added two bronze medals to Team GB’s medal tally in Singapore at the Youth Olympic Games.

Kelly got the evening of swimming action off to a flying start with a bronze in the Women’s 100m Butterfly final with a time of 1:00.26. Speaking afterwards Kelly said: “I had been saying all week that I was waiting for the 100m final so it feels amazing to get a medal. I haven’t swum spectacularly well throughout the week, but I have been improving and so to have got a medal at the end of it feels amazing.”

Moments later Faulkner followed suit with bronze in her favourite event, the Women’s 400m Freestyle, in a time of 4:14.31.

Plymouth Leander’s Anthony James had already made the qualification time in the Men’s 100m Butterfly but a victory in the event on day two of the British Gas ASA National Championships at the Sunderland Aquatic Centre saw him lower his time. Touching in 52.66 the 20-year-old took gold with James Doolan (City of Salford) taking silver in 53.69 with ,local boy Ian Hulme taking third in 53.72.

View video highlights from Day 2

The Men’s 200m Freestyle was dominated by Plymouth Leander’s Steven Beckerleg who took a commanding lead from the start. Less than 0.3 seconds separated first and third places as 20-year-old Beckerleg touched in a personal best time of 1:50.25 to take gold with Joe Roebuck (Loughborough University) in silver with 1:50.47 and Joshua Walsh taking bronze in 1:50.53.

“It was a tough race,” said Beckerleg. “My plan was to control the first 25 as I tend to go off too fast. I got a PB but it wasn't the time I was aiming for, it was a Commonwealth Games spot. I'll just have to wait and see!”

City of Manchester’s Emma Saunders extended her fantastic season as she swam to the national title in the Women’s 100m Freestyle. The 16-year-old took four medals earlier this year at the European Junior Championships and came to Sunderland looking for a spot on the Commonwealth Team. A slow start saw Saunders turn in fifth position, but a strong back end saw her power through to take the title in a time of 56.12.

Silver went to Rebecca Turner (City of Sheffield) in 56.32 with bronze going to Emma Wilkins (Plymouth Leander) in 56.65.

The Women’s 50m Butterfly saw Lucy Worrall (Stockport) swim to gold in 27.66, Louise Pate (Edinburgh University) took silver touching in 27.99 and Sian Harkin (Plymouth Leander) took third in 28.03.

Day one of the British Gas ASA National Championships (50m) 2010 got underway at the Sunderland Aquatic Centre as athletes vied for the remaining Team England spots to secure their place to the Commonwealth Games.

View video highlights from Day 1

Anne Bochmann (City of Leeds) put herself in contention for a ticket to Dehli when she hit the selection qualifying time in the Women’s 200m Individual Medley touching in 2:13.80 to take national honours and the gold medal. The 16-year-old was lying in second position as she turned into the final 100m, but her strength over the breaststroke and freestyle legs saw her take the lead and claim gold. Kate Hutchison took silver in 2:15.33 with Keri-Anne Payne taking bronze in 2:15.38.

Two gold medals, a silver and two bronze saw British Swimming, powered by British Gas, sign off from the European Championships with their most successful night of the event and an 18 medal total haul.

Double Olympic Champion Becky Adlington was back on the top step of the podium after a thrilling Women’s 400m Freestyle victory and the Women’s 4x100 Medley Relay delivered another European title to enhance Britain’s greatest European performance my a massive margin.

Britain’s previous best of 13 medals has been smashed this week in Budapest despite the fact the team is focused on the season’s goal of the Delhi Commonwealth Games in October.

British Swimming, powered by British Gas, set themselves up for a storming finish to the European Championships in Budapest and will look to close their account of the final day with more medals.

It was the Men’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay that went closest to adding to the team’s greatest European medal haul with a valiant effort but France squeezed through into the bronze medal at the death. Each of the quartet – Robbie Renwick (City of Glasgow), Dave Carry (British Gas ITC Stockport), Ross Davenport and Robert Bale (both British Gas ITC Loughborough) – dropped close to two second off their times from heats to final to put them agonizingly close to the bronze.

View video of Final of Men’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay (7m 47s flashplayer required).

Fran Halsall won her third medal of the European Championships in Budapest with silver in the Women’s 100m Butterfly and as medal number 13 for Great Britain it provides a best ever return from a European event with two days still to go.

British Swimming, powered by British Gas, claimed 13 medals four years ago as a best result but four gold medals so far in 2010 as opposed to two in 2006 means Britain have exceeded their previous benchmark.

And it was Halsall (British Gas ITC Loughborough) who delivered the telling performance in a new British Record of 57.40. Gold went to Sweden’s Sarah Sjoestroem in 57.32 while Swede Therese Alshammar was third in 57.80.

View video of Final of Women's 100m Butterfly (2m 07s flashplayer required).