Just one week after Britain celebrated open water success at the World Championships in Melbourne, Hatfield’s Richard Charlesworth has swum a best ever indoor 5k time at the British Swimming Championships in Manchester.
The 18-year-old member of Britain’s Offshore Centre team, an elite group of hopefuls combining training with studying at The Southport School on Australia’s Gold Coast, powered through the 100 lengths of the 50m pool in 53 minutes and 12 seconds – the fastest ever 5k indoor time in British history.
French visitor Anthony Pannier set the pace from the start to take an early lead, but Charlesworth stayed within reach for a late challenge that ensured he came home first. Pannier was second in 53:23.3 ahead of open water specialist Simon Panting (Northampton) who touched in 55.18.6.
Charlesworth was delighted to take the British title in a new British best.
“I wasn’t expecting to go that fast so I’m really pleased,” he said. “Having a bit of foreign rivalry certainly helped. It felt like Pannier went out at 1500m pace, but I kept chasing him and slowly chopped away at his lead.
“I’m in my second year at Southport now and the training there is definitely paying off. It’s a great training environment with everything on site. The 5k is hard work and I’ve got to get back in the pool later for the 400m Freestyle.”
In the women’s 5k, recent open water convert Rachel Jack took the British title in 59 minutes, 4.6 seconds. The City of Leeds swimmer touched home within the qualifying standard for the European Junior Open Water Championships in Milan later this year.
“That wasn’t as fast as last year, but I’ve had a few up and downs recently so I’m pleased with that time,” she said. “I was aiming for a PB, but I’m just happy to get the European qualifying time. That gets me to Seville and from there I can qualify for the European Juniors.
“I’ve only been doing open water for a year now and I’m really enjoying it. And I’m even more motivated now it’s part of the Olympic programme.”
In the same event, Alice McCall (Wigan) won silver in 59 minutes, 10.2 seconds and Plymouth Leander’s Sophie Collier took bronze in 59 minutes, 32.9 seconds.
-ENDS-
The British Championships take place at the Manchester Aquatics Centre from 26 March to 1 April. Full results are available on www.britishswimming.org
For more information contact British Swimming media officer Amanda Smith on 01509 632238, 07876 652 318 or email amanda.smith@swimming.org
British Swimming is the National Governing Body for Swimming, Diving, Synchronised Swimming, Water Polo and Open Water in Great Britain. It is responsible internationally for the high performance representation of the sport. The members of British Swimming are the three Home Countries national governing bodies of England (Amateur Swimming Association), Scotland (Scottish Amateur Swimming Association) and Wales. (Welsh Amateur Swimming Association) British Swimming seeks to enable its athletes to achieve gold medal success at the Olympics, Paralympics, World Championships and Commonwealth Games.
www.britishswimming.org
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