European Record on final night of British Summer Champs

Following her success at the recent IPC World Championships with bronze in the S10 100m Butterfly, Tai continued to show her strength lowering her own European record in the Women’s MC 100m Butterfly posting a time of 1:07.00. Romford Town’s Amy Marren (S9) took silver and Harrogate’s Chloe Buck won bronze.

After the race a delighted Tai said: “I feel absolutely great. That was the last swim of the season so setting a new European record is an amazing way to end.

“It only sunk in the other day, when I was watching the other swimmers at this meet, that I am third fastest in the World.

“Once I get into the pool after a few weeks off I’m going to be giving it everything I have to make it to Rio.”

In the Men’s MC 100m Butterfly, James Hollis set a new S10 British Record of 58.71 to win gold ahead of Dulwich Dolphins swimmer Kahoru Harazawa. The Loughborough University swimmer’s record brings the final number of records set at these championships to 23 including one World Record and two European Records.

“It only sunk in the other day, when I was watching the other swimmers at this meet, that I am third fastest in the World,"

- Alice Tai

There were four swimmers shoulder to shoulder going into the second half of the Men’s 19+yrs 400m Freestyle but it was local City of Sheffield swimmer Litchfield who found the extra strength needed in the final 50 metres of the race to pull away from the field and take gold.

After the race, City of Sheffield’s Litchfield said: “The heats were tough this morning so I knew it was going to be a hard race.

“I dropped a couple of seconds off the time I posted this morning so I am really happy with that and it’s great to take gold at the same time.

“I’m heading out to the US Nationals next week so hopefully I can continue the form I have shown here in the States.”

Loughborough University’s Caleb Hughes, who raced in the 5Km at the FINA World Championships last week, was second with Swansea Aquatics’ Daniel Jervis, bronze medallist in the 1500m at Glasgow 2014, taking bronze.

After the race, silver medallist Hughes, said: “I was only one second outside my personal best so I am happy with that time after being out at the World Championships.

“The 5Km in Kazan was a touch race but to have finished seventh in my first World Championships is a great result and I think it showed people that I am going to be challenging for medals in the future.”

Kyle Chisholm held a comfortable lead at the half-way point of the 17/18yrs 400m Freestyle but a strong second half from Millfield’s Cameron Kurle saw the Bo Kirklees swimmer edged into silver. City of Milton Keynes swimmer Thomas Flaherty was able to hold on down the final 50 metres to take bronze.

In the Women’s 19yrs+ 400m Freestyle, Libby Mitchell (Swansea Aquatics) established an early lead which she was able to extend to to over five seconds by the final touch. City of Sheffield swimmer Abbie Houston won silver, while a final push for the wall saw City of Peterborough’s Chloe Hannam move into third.

"To have finished seventh in my first World Championships is a great result and I think it showed people that I am going to be challenging for medals in the future,"

- Caleb Hughes

With 100 metres to go, Chloe Finch had a lead of over a body length in the 17/18yrs 400m Freestyle which the City of Birmingham swimmer was able to maintain to take gold ahead of Chelsea and Westminster’s Georgina Boyle. In a tight race behind them it was Alice Dearing, who also raced in the 5Km Open Water in Kazan, who won the sprint to the wall to take bronze.

Derventio’s Sarah Vasey dug deep in the final 10 metres of the Women’s 19yrs+ 100m Breaststroke to take gold in 1:07.92 ahead of Corrie Scott. University of Edinburgh’s Scott, bronze medallist in the 50m Breaststroke at last year’s Commonwealth Games, took silver while bronze went to Rachael Wilson (Derwentside).

In the 17/18yrs 100m Breaststroke, Katie Matts (Stockport Metro) was able to hold off the charge from Beth Aitchison and Kara Hanlon over the final stages of the race in win gold. Silver went to Bournemouth College’s Aitchison who touched the wall fingertips ahead of Highland swimmer Hanlon.

Loughborough University’s Andrew Weatheritt was able to find clear water in the final metres of the Men’s 19yrs+ 50m Freestyle to win gold ahead of Plymouth Leander’s Aaron Rickhuss and Edinburgh University’s Jack Thorpe.

In an incredibly close finish it was Daniel Speers who clinched victory in the 17/18yrs 50m Freestyle ahead of Plymouth Leander’s Thomas Fannon and his Millfield teammate Samuel Irvine.

Chelsea and Westminster SC’s Isabella Hindley was first to the wall in the Women’s 19+yrs 50m Freestyle, while only 0.03 seconds separated Bath University’s Anna Hopkins who took silver and Loughborough University’s Emma Wilkins who touched third.

City of Derby’s Harriet Cooper topped the podium in the 17/18yrs age group after winning gold while the second step was shared by Katie Latham (Thanet Swim) and Freya Rayner (City of Sunderland).

In other events, Ellesmere College’s Leighton Mayers won gold in the Men’s 13/14yrs 50m Freestyle just ahead of Plymouth Leander’s Sam Dailley who heads home with the most number of medals: 5 golds, 2 silvers, and 2 bronzes. In the Men’s 16yrs 50m Free all 10 swimmers were shoulder to shoulder with five metres to go but it was Michael Jacobs (Sevenoaks) who found the wall first to win gold while Lewis Burras (Southport) won the 15yrs 50m Freestyle.

It was gold for Thanet Swim’s Maisie Macartney and Plymouth Leander’s Emma England in the 13/14yrs and 15yrs 50m Freestyle while City of Sheffield’s Darcy Deakin was able to inch ahead of the field to take gold in the 16yrs 50m Freestyle.

Tamzin Pugh (Ellesmere College) held on to her early lead to win her seventh gold of the Championships in the Women’s 15yrs 400m Freestyle. Weston-Super-Mare’s Rachel Anderson edged away from the field over the final 100 metres to take gold and set a new lifetime best in the 13/14yrs event, while Stockport Metro’s Holly Hibbott looked at ease as she won the 16yrs raceby over three seconds.

In the Men’s 400m Freestyle events, Plymouth Leander’s Oscar Brian clinched victory on the touch in the 13/14yrs final. Lying in third position at 300 metres, FIRST’s Ryan Retson found an extra gear in the final stages to take gold in the 15yrs race, while Stockport Metro’s Harrison Coulter won gold in the 16yrs event after pulling away from the rest of the field in the final 10 metres.

City of Leeds swimmer Layla Black and South Ayrshire’s Erin Robertson both took gold on the touch in the 15yrs and 16yrs 100m Breaststroke respectively, while Wirral Metro’s Freya Anderson pulled away in the final five metres to take gold in the 13/14yrs final. 

In the final events of the evening, it was team glory for Millfield in the Men’s 14/16 yrs 400m Medley Relay, while Cockermouth split Plymouth Leander’s A and B teams as they took gold and bronze respectively in the Men’s 17/over event. City of Leeds were victorious in the Women’s 14/16 yrs 400m Medley Relay while Stockport Metro took gold in the Women’s 17/over race and head home top of medal table winning 31 medals over the six days of competition: 13 golds, 11 silver, and 7 bronzes.