British swimmers provided enthusiastic crowds with more superb racing on the penultimate day of the British Summer Championships with a World Record from Jessica-Jane Applegate and lifetime bests from Joe Elwood and Alexandra Kaye.
The Men’s 19yrs+ 100m Backstroke final went down to the wire as Elwood’s early lead was put under pressure by Charlie Boldison. The Loughborough University swimmer found an extra burst of energy in the closing stages of the race and was able to clinch victory ahead of University of Stirling’s Boldison while City of Sunderland’s Jonathan Carlisle touched the wall for bronze.
Reflecting on this race, Elwood said: “I’ve been trying to get under 55 seconds for a couple of years now so I am really happy with that performance.
“Charlie always comes back fast so I knew I had to go out hard in the first 50 metres.
“In the heats this morning, I eased off in the final 20 metres so I knew I could give a little more tonight.”
In the 17/18yrs final, Cockermouth’s Luke Greenbank demonstrated his backstroke prowess as he pulled away in the final stages of the race to win gold ahead of Plymouth Leander’s Joseph Hulme and Carnegie’s Craig McLean.
“I’ve been trying to get under 55 seconds for a couple of years now so I am really happy with that performance,"
- Joe Elwood
After the race, a thrilled Kaye said: “The race went really well. I haven’t posted a PB in that event for a while so I am really happy with how that performance.
“I wasn’t sure if was going to be able to catch Chloe but after the final turn I just gave it everything I had and thankfully it paid off.”
In the same race Norwich’s Jessica-Jane Applegate ended her medal winning season in spectacular style touching the wall in 5:15.25 and lowering the SM14 World Record she posted this morning.
Rosie Rudin, who heads to Singapore next month to compete at the World Junior Championships, had an early lead in the 17/18yrs 400m IM, however strong breaststroke legs from Stockport Metro’s Lucy McKenzie and her Nova Centurion teammate Amber Keegan saw her drop to third overall by the final touch. Gold went to Stockport Metro’s McKenzie after edging ahead of silver medallist Keegan in the last 10 metres of the race.
“The race went really well. I haven’t posted a PB in that event for a while so I am really happy with how that performance,"
- Alexandra Kaye
After the race, a delighted Jervis said: “I came into these Championships wanting to go under 15 minutes and I’ve achieve that so I am really happy.
“I feel that swim was a good step for me as I look towards Rio next year.”
Bath University’s Jay Lelliot held on for silver while Loughborough University’s Caleb Hughes, who finished 7th in the 5km Open Water at the FINA World Championships last week, took bronze.
In the 17/18yrs 1500m Freestyle Royal Wolverhampton’s Tom Derbyshire won gold ahead of Hatfield’s Timothy Shuttleworth who touched the wall for second, while City of Sheffield’s Samuel Budd won bronze.
There was an exciting race for gold in the Men’s 19+yrs 200m Breaststroke. Loughborough University’s James Wilby, gold medallist in the 100m Breaststroke, found himself out fast but strong turns from Callum Tait meant he had to dig deep to touch the wall first. Tait’s University of Edinburgh teammate Nicholas Quinn won bronze.
Charlie Atwood went out fast in the 17/18yrs 200m Breaststroke but Edward Baxter and Edmund Ashton put pressure on the Taunton Deane’s swimmer over the second part of the race. In the final metres Cockermouth’s Baxter was able to inch ahead of Atwood to take gold while London Aquatics’ Ashton touched the wall for bronze.
City of Sunderland’s Josef Craig (S8), who posted a British Record in the MC 100m Freestyle earlier this week, won gold in the Men’s MC 400m Freestyle posting a time of 4:34.00, with Loughborough University’s Michael Jones (S7) taking silver in 4:53.21 and Bo Kirklees swimmer Jonathan Booth (S9) taking bronze in 4:29.12).
In the Women’s race, City of Oxford’s Rosie Bancroft (S10) secured gold in 4:46.88 with Aquae Sulis swimmer Stephanie Millward second in 4:48.10 and Eleanor Robinson touching third in 5:48.92.
In other events, there was some incredibly close racing in the Women’s 50m Backstroke. With 15 metres to go the field were shoulder to shoulder in the 19yrs+ final however Chelsea and Westminster SC’s Isabella Hindley clinched gold in a new lifetime best ahead of Dover’s Megan Basford and Loughborough University’s Charlotte McKenzie.
In the 17/18yrs 50m Backstroke Warrington Warriors swimmer Kathleen Dawson edged ahead of the field to win gold with City of Derby’s Harriet Cooper taking silver and Thanet Swim’s Katie Latham touching the wall for third. .
Rotherham Metro’s Debbie Cocking won gold in the 13/14yrs final by only 0.2 seconds while 15 year-old Cassie Wild (Wirral Metro) and 16 year-old Bethany Newton (Street) both clinched victory on the touch in their age-group finals.
City of Leicester’s William Bell won gold in the 13/14yrs 1500m Freestyle in an impressive 23 seconds ahead of the field, while City of Milton Keynes swimmer Max Murphy and Stockport Metro’s Harrison Coulter took gold in the 15yrs and 16yrs 1500m Freestyle respectively.
After a determined final 50 metres, City of Hereford’s James Bilbao touched the wall first in the 13/14yrs 200m Breaststroke posting a new lifetime best. City of Oxford’s Callum Smart also showed his impressive backend speed as he won gold in the 15yrs 200m Breaststroke. While in the 16yrsrace, nothing separated the top three swimmers with 25 metres to go but Millfield’s Joshua Lawson dug deep in the final metres to take victory.
Georgia Coates led from start of the Women’s 16yrs 400m IM, extending her lead to over six seconds by the final touch. After a tight sprint for the wall, Coates’ City of Leeds teammate Ciara Schlosshan won gold in the 13/14yrs 400m IM, while Ellesmere College’s Tamzin Pugh added gold in the 15yrs 400m IM to her impressive medal haul from these championships.
Ellesmere College’s Leighton Mayers took gold in the Men’s 13/14yrs 100m Backstroke, dipping under the elusive minute mark for the first time. James Eddy also set a new lifetime best as he pulled away from the field in the final 15 metres to win in the 15yrs event. Eddy’s Wycombe District teammate James McFadzen clinched victory in the 16yrs final.