Another British record and eight swimmers progressed through to finals, a strong start to day four of the European Para-Swimming Championships in Dublin.
Stephen Clegg kicked things off for the GB men on day four in Dublin, he broke his own British record in the Men’s S12 100m Backstroke.
His time of 1:01.46 saw him comfortably qualify fastest for the medals showdown swim.
“I've not PB'd in the 100 backstroke for a while. Coming into this event I've been quite relaxed, which I've not always been in the past,” said Clegg.
“I've just been executing the race plan my coach gives me before the race.
"I need to make sure my recovery is good. I'll get back, get fuelled and rested.
I'll take the race as it comes. You never know who else is going to step forward and up a gear in the final.”
Alice Tai served up a dominant heats swim and went fastest in the Women’s S8 100m Backstroke heats, her time of 1:13.35 secured her lane four for the final.
Tai said after her heats swim, “I wanted to go out as I would in the final, I just eased off at the end to save that little bit of energy.
“My PB is 1'07, and I love a good race, so tonight is about getting my head down and pushing myself. Hopefully, I'll PB later
Megan Richter, fresh from her bronze medal swim last night, also went in the S8 100m Backstroke and just missed out on equalling her 2018 seasons best by 0.01 of a second. Her time of 1:18.40 ranked her second overall.
The Men’s S9 100m Backstroke saw a triad of swimmers from Great Britain, Ollie Hynd, Jacob Leach and Lewis White.
Hynd won his heat in a time of 1:07.13, with Leach who made his Commonwealth Games debut earlier in the year, hot on his heels to touch second, his time 1:07.98.
“It's difficult, been a hard year to say the least. I just have to get in and swim really, it's all I can do. The backstroke's probably my best chance of a medal. We'll see what happens tonight in the final,” said Hynd, who has recently been reclassified S9.
White raced in a separate heat and clocked a time of 1:07.75. At the completion of the three S9 100m back heats, Hynd was ranked fifth with White and Leach seventh and eighth respectively.
Zara Mullooly went in the Women’s S10 50m Freestyle heats and was just off her PB pace to stop the clock at 29.87. She did however book herself into the European Championship final and will race again this evening.
In the Women’s S6 100m Backstroke we had two athletes take to the water, Grace Harvey and Tully Kearney.
Harvey, who trains at the British Para-Swimming National Performance Centre in Manchester, posted a time of 1:31.80 and booked her place in the final with the third fastest swim.
Kearney was ranked ninth at the completion of the S6 heats with a time of 1:59.53.
The heats session closed with a non-medal event, the Mixed S14 4x100m Freestyle relay. Great Britain were represented by 2018 European medallists Jordan Catchpole, Jessica-jane Applegate, Bethany Firth and Tom Hamer.
The quartet achieved a new world record of 3:46.25.
Tonight will also see two athletes compete in straight finals, Hannah Russell will go in the Women’s S12 100m Backstroke and Toni Shaw in the S9 100m Backstroke final.
Click here for full results from day four heats of the World Para Swimming Allianz European Championships 2018 in Dublin.