Richards Continues British Junior Record Siege At Wales C’ships

2018 SWIM WALES WINTER CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Friday, November 30th – Sunday, December 2nd
• Wales National Pool
• SCM
• Incorporates Welsh Short Course Nationals
• SwimSwam Meet Preview
• Entry List
• Day 1 Recap
• Live Results

Young gun Matt Richards did more damage on night 2 of the Swim Wales Winter Championships. After capturing two British Junior Records last night, the Royal School Wolverhampton Swimming Club athlete fired off a 3rd in the morning heats of the men’s 100m freestyle.

Earning an AM effort of 49.52 to take the 2nd seed behind Swansea’s Dan Jones and his top time of 49.15, Richards’ mark blew away his own previous British Junior Record of 49.52 clocked just this past September.

Richards had more left in the tank for tonight’s final, as the teen crushed another personal best of 49.38 to take gold in the open 100m free category and lower his own new BJR from this morning. Liam White wound up in the silver medal spot with 49.65, while Jones settled for bronze in 50.19.

Richards also got the job done in the 50m fly sprint, clocking a mark of 24.25 to nab the top seed of the morning. His outing in the heats overtook his own previous British Junior Record of 24.69 set last month.

Lewis Fraser of Swansea wound up winning the 50m fly final in a time of 23.88, with Richards adding just .02 to take silver in 24.27. For Fraser, his time tonight was just off his own personal best and 2nd fastest time ever by a Welshman of 23.79 from last year.

Commonwealth Games swimmer Harriet Jones earned 2 wins on the night, first collecting the top prize in the women’s 100m free. The Cardiff swimmer nabbed the gold in 56.06, winning by almost a full second and notching a big personal best in the process. Tonight’s outing represents Jones’ first time ever under the 57-second threshold in the sprint.

Her next victim was the 200m fly, where the 21-year-old touched the wall in a mark of 2:13.92. Jones’ personal best in this event sits at the 2:11.32 clocked at this same meet back in 2015.

Additional Winners:

• Fraser tripled up on his 100m breaststroke win from night 1 and his 50m fly win tonight with a victory in the men’s 200m IM. The Swansea swimmer clocked 2:02.55 for the gold this evening, wrapping up a big personal best in the process.
• City of Cardiff’s Rebecca Sutton also notched a 2nd win, topping the podium in the women’s 200m IM this evening in 2:16.97. The 17-year-old won the 4IM last night.