On the hottest day of the year so far, our swimmers were back in action this morning for day two of the British Swimming Championships 2015 at the London Aquatics Centre.
With two athletes clocking sub-49 swims in the heats, the Men’s 100m Freestyle looks set to be a scorcher as Ben Proud (Plymouth Leander) and Calum Jarvis (National Centre, Bath) lead the way with 48.70 and 48.93. But with all eight qualifiers under the 50 second barrier, we’re on course for the closest British championships final of all time.
European and British champion, Jazz Carlin (National Centre, Bath) looked dominant in the Women’s 400m Freestyle, ensuring qualification into tonight’s battle with 4:08.29. Derwentside’s Jessica Thielmann and City of Sheffield’s Ellie Faulkner present her closest threat, swimming 4:10.53 and 4:10.69 respectively.
The Scottish contingent led the charge in the Men’s 200m Butterfly heats. University of Stirling’s Cameron Brodie set the benchmark in a 1:58.45, with team-mate Sean Campsie (1:59.57) smashing his lifetime best by over four seconds to book the spearhead lanes for the final.
Loughborough University’s Molly Renshaw also had a great morning in the pool as she stretched home in the Women’s 200m Breaststroke to find 2:26.06 – the quickest time of the heats. London Aquatics Centre Performance athlete Sophie Taylor looked equally comfortable, clocking 2:27.52. The 19 year old will be looking to defend her hat-trick of titles from the 2014 British Championships and knock Commonwealth bronze medallist, Renshaw, off the top spot.
Dan Wallace (Warrender) was the only man to clock sub-2 minutes in the Men’s 200m Individual this morning, but with reigning champion Roberto Pavoni, Millfield’s Tristan Slater and Carnegie’s Mark Szaranek just a second off the mark it’s shaping up to be a fiery showdown.
The first of the time trials saw the Women take to the pool in the 50m Butterfly, with National Centre, Loughborough’s Rachael Kelly ducking under 27 for the win in 26.62. Team-mate Emma Wilkins (27.01) and Plymouth Leander’s Charlotte Atkinson (27.36) battled it out for second, with Wilkins emerging on top.
The Men’s 50m Backstroke ‘splash and dash’ time trial saw last night’s 100m champion, Chris Walker-Hebborn (National Centre, Bath) go head to head once again against current World record holder, Liam Tancock. The pair set 24.92 and 25.23 respectively for first and second place.
Joseph Patching (Plymouth Leander) swam to third in a new lifetime best of 25.66.
- Click here for full results from the morning.
- Click here to download the FINA World Long Course Championships 2015 Selection Policy.
Courtesy: British Swimming