Jazz Carlin, Siobhan-Marie O’Connor and Ben Proud all rose to the occasion to claim gold in front of a packed crowd on the penultimate night of the British Swimming Championships in Glasgow.
Carlin claimed her third title of the Championships with victory in the 400m Freestyle while O’Connor added a second in the 200m Individual Medley and Proud won the 50m Freestyle.
All three posted times under the consideration time for selection for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games with Carlin’s swim the best of her campaign at Tollcross International Swimming Centre.
The National Centre, Bath swimmer had already picked up the 200m and 800m titles and ensured a clean sweep of the distance freestyle events in perfect style, charging for home with 100m to go to touch in 4:04.33.
“It was my last event and I wanted to put everything into it. It was a great race and a strong field. I just wanted to go in there and do my best. I am absolutely over the moon,” said Carlin.
“I have put pressure on myself and I wanted to do my best. I have been trying to relax and think about the race. I tried to remember back to when I was a little girl, I just used to race.
“I just wanted to go out there and do a good race. The crowd was incredible, I watched the 1500m, that was an incredible race and it really did spur me along.”
Fellow world bronze medallist O’Connor (National Centre, Bath) claimed the British 100m Freestyle crown on day four and swam a controlled race in a time of 2:09.66 to make it two from two in Glasgow.
“I have just tried to come in and be really relaxed. It is good to have nerves but sometimes too many nerves can be a detriment,” said O’Connor
“I have tried to really relax and focus on all the hard work I have done. I wanted to get a little bit closer to my best so I have few things to work on.
“It was absolutely amazing to win a world medal last year and that gave me a lot of confidence. It is going to take a lot of work to better that.”
World Championship finalist Proud (Plymouth Leander) successfully defended his 50m Freestyle British title in a time of 21.73, surging ahead with 15m to go to touch first.
“It has been great. I have spent a lot more time in the gym and put a bit more muscle mass on and that is translating in the pool,” Proud said.
“I would like to move on a bit more over the summer. I have still got a lot more work to do and a lot more training to do but I am happy with the way I am going and I am really pleased.”
Teenager Timothy Shuttleworth got day five off to a stunning start as he swam through a wall of noise to claim the first British title of his fledgling career in the Men’s 1500m Freestyle final.
Roared on by the biggest crowd of the Championships so far, Shuttleworth (National Centre, Loughborough) gave it everything, leading for the majority of the race to touch home first.
World Championship finalist Stephen Milne (Perth City) tried to reel Shuttleworth in as the Tollcross crowd rose in volume but he had to make do with second.
“I have been training pretty well recently. I am in the best form of my life. I felt like I had it in me, it was just about whether I could get up and do it. It is an incredible feeling,” said Shuttleworth.
“The final 100m I got my head down and went. It hurt like hell but it sunk in that I was in the lead. The bell went and I just went for it.
“I came for a little paddle, 800m, in the morning, I had a load of pasta when I got back, had a sleep and then got back up ready to go.”
Roberto Pavoni (National Centre, Loughborough) did enough to successfully defend his Men’s 200m Individual Medley title in a competitive final in Glasgow.
“I wished I had gone a bit faster,” said Pavoni. “Nothing was lacking, I have done everything I possibly could this year. Even coming into the week I was feeling good and my races felt good.”
European Games champion from 2015 Abbie Wood (Loughborough University) took a fine victory in the Women’s Target Tokyo 400m Freestyle final.
Lucy Ellis (City of Sunderland) and Isobel Griffiths (City of Birmingham) were second and third respectively while Annalea Davison won the Women’s Junior 400m Freestyle final.
Davison (Newcastle) led from start to finish to touch home first in Glasgow with Leah Crisp (City of Leeds) a clear second and Sophie Millen (Wycombe District) battling for third.
Joseph Hulme (Bath University) triumphed in the Men’s Target Tokyo 200m Individual Medley final ahead of Martyn Walton (University of Stirling) and James McFadzen (Wycombe District).
And there was a three-way battle for first place in the Men’s Junior 200m Individual Medley final with Brodie Williams (Millfield) getting the important touch.
Jacob Greenow (Taunton Deane) placed second and George Clough (Warrender Baths) third while Emma Day won the Women’s Target Tokyo 200m Individual Medley final.
Day stormed home from lane two while Loughborough University clubmate Abbie Wood took second, a fingertip ahead of Stockport Metro’s Lucy McKenzie.
Ciara Schlosshan (City of Leeds) won the Women’s Junior 200m Individual Medley final ahead of Emily Large (Newcastle) and Freya Anderson (Ellesmere College).
In the splash and dash Men’s Target Tokyo 50m Freestyle final Bradley Lynch (City of Derby) got the touch ahead of John Slater (Plymouth Leander) and Samuel Irvine (Millfield).
And it was Lewis Burras (Southport) who took victory in the Men’s Junior 50m Freestyle final with Lewis Clough (City of Salford) second and Grant Henderson (City of Glasgow) a popular third.