British swimmers continued to excite home crowds in Sheffield with some close racing during the day four heats of the British Summer Championships.
In the 19+yrs 100m Free, Loughborough University’s Andrew Weatheritt booked lane four for tonight’s final after edging out Bath University’s Miles Munro to touch the wall first in heat nine. Weatheritt and Munro will be separated in tonight’s final by second fastest qualifier Jak Scott (University of Stirling).
Carnegie’s Craig McLean leads the way in the 17/18yrs Age Group ahead of Lewis Clough (City of Salford) and Hatfield’s Martyn Walton, gold medallist in last night’ 200m IM. With all ten swimmers within one second of each other heading into the final, it’s set to be an exciting race.
Plymouth Leander’s Sam Dailley will be looking to add to his impressive medal tally as he qualified only 0.03 seconds behind Shiverers’ Joel Thompson in the 13/14yrs 100m Free. Durham City’s Daniel Morley rounds out the top three heading into the final tonight.
Loughborough University’s James Wilby looked comfortable as he won the final heat of the 100m Breaststroke to secure lane four in tonight’s 19+yrs in the final. Callum Tait (University of Edinburgh) and Christopher Steeples (City of Manchester Aquatics) also looked strong in the second half of their respective heats to progress through second and third fastest.
Charlie Atwood pushed all the way in the final metres of heat 10 to touch third and qualify fastest for tonight’s 17/18yrs 100m Breaststroke ahead of City of Oxford swimmer David Murphy and Cockermouth’s Edward Baxter.
Less than half a second separates the top three swimmers heading into the 16yrs 100m Breaststroke. Millfield’s Joshua Lawson will occupy lane four with Alexander Rogers (City of Birmingham) and George Clough (Warrender Bath’s) sitting second and third respectively.
In the penultimate heat of the 200m Fly, a late challenge from 15 year-old Tazmin Pugh saw her edge into first place ahead of Amelia Clynes and Elena Sheridan, and head into tonight’s final an impressive six seconds ahead of Finleigh Dukes (Doncaster Dartes) and Lauren Roberts (City of Leeds).
City of Leeds swimmer Clynes will go into tonight’s 16yrs 200m Fly as fastest qualifier with Holly Hibbot (Stockport Metro) and Georgia Coates (City of Leeds) chasing her heels.
Loughborough University’s Sheridan heads into the 19yrs+ final behind Swansea Aquatics Swimmer Alys Thomas with City of Manchester’s Emma Smithurst progressing through third.
Blackpool Aquatics swimmer Shantelle Austin led from the start of the final heat, touching the wall over a body length ahead of the field. She will start tonight’s 17/18yrs 200m Fly final in lane four ahead of Hatfield’s Lily West and Stockport Metro’s Brearnna Close.
Pugh qualified for her second final of the day in the 200m Backstroke after clinching first in the final heat of the event ahead of City of Manchester’s Jessica Fullalove. The Ellesmere College swimmer will now occupy lane four on two occasions tonight, while Fullalove progresses through to the 19+yrs final first ahead of City of Peterborough’s Chloe Hannam and Loughborough University’s Eleanor Dolan.
In the multi-classification events, City of Hereford’s Sascha Kindred (SM6) and Norwich’s Jessica-Jane Applegate (SM14), gold and silver medallists respectively at the recent IPC World Championships, both head into their MC 200m IM finals as the top qualifier. Romford Town’s Amy Marren (S9) and City of Manchester’s Matthew Walker (S7) also qualified first for their respective MC 50m Freestyle finals.