ADLINGTON FIRST TITLE OF THE SEASON

30.03.2010

29th March 2010

The first day of competition at the British Gas Swimming Championships 2010 saw some strong performances from the country’s top swimmers as they fought to seal their places on the teams for the European Championships and the Commonwealth Games.

The first final of the evening was the women’s 200m Freestyle and it was the one that everyone’s eyes were on as double Olympic Champion Rebecca Adlington took on Jazmin Carlin and Joanne Jackson.

It was Adlington that came out on top as she made a return to winning ways in the final with an impressive swim that saw her beat her closest rivals.

Fran Halsall (British Gas ITC Loughborough) made the fastest start to the final but it was Adlington and Carlin (British Gas ITC Swansea) that showed their strength through the second half of the race.

World bronze medallists Adlington and Carlin pulled away from the field and as the race entered the final 50m they were swimming stroke for stroke but it was Adlington that touched first in a time of 1:57.87. This race means that Adlington has met the qualification criteria for the English Commonwealth Games team in both the individual and relay events.

“I love the relay so I'm really glad I've made it through for that," said Adlington. "I'm not much of a sprinter so I have to rely on coming back in the last 100m. But it's fantastic to have guaranteed the relay spot - that was what I wanted to do.

"I love the event and now I can enjoy the rest of the week because I know I've made that."

Carlin secured an impressive second place in 1:58.51 and Joanne Jackson (British Gas ITC Loughborough) won bronze in 1:58.93.

British Gas ITC Stockport’s Michael Rock, who beat Michael Phelps in December, went into the final of the men’s 200m Butterfly with confidence and he looked strong throughout his race.

Rock faced up to competition from Roberto Pavoni (Brentwood) and Joe Roebuck (Loughborough Uni) throughout the race but fought them off to take the gold and meet the selection criteria for the English Commonwealth Games team.

Rock touched in a time of 1:56.86 and afterwards commented: “I am pleased with that. I wanted to get in and race hard and that was what I did this evening. I wanted to get qualification sorted and I have so it was good.”

Silver went to Pavoni in a new personal best time of 1:57.29 and bronze was won by Roebuck in 1:57.38.

City of Glasgow’s Robbie Renwick secured a hard fought victory in the men’s 400m Freestyle as he and fellow Scot David Carry were swimming next to each other for much of the race.

Renwick went out fastest from the start but he was soon caught up by Carry and he was pushed all the way by the British Gas ITC Stockport swimmer.

The Scottish record holder turned first for the final 50m but soon Carry was swimming on his shoulder. But Renwick stole the victory on the touch and won gold in 3:50.32.

Carry took silver in 3:50.55 and bronze went to British Gas ITC Loughborough swimmer Robert Bale in 3:51.58.

The 200m Individual Medley was won by British record holder Hannah Miley took the gold medal with a strong swim that saw her dominate the last leg of her final.

World Championship finalist Miley (Garioch) swam an excellent breaststroke leg to extend her lead from the field and take her win in a time of 2:12.32.

Seventeen-year-old Aimee Willmott (Middlesbrough) won the silver with a strong performance and touched in 2:14.25. Anne Bochmann (City of Leeds) took bronze in 2:15.79.

World Champion Liam Tancock qualified fastest for tomorrow’s 50m Backstroke final where he will face City of Salford’s Luke Wood and Gallica’s Ryan Bennett.

Amy Smith (Loughborough Uni) swam the fastest time in the semi-final of the women’s 50m Butterfly and will face up to Louise Pate (Edinburgh Uni) and Jemma Lowe (Swansea Performance) who broke a Welsh record in her semi-final.

The women’s 50m Breaststroke saw Achieng Ajulu-Bushell (Plymouth Leander) qualify fastest for the final with a time of 31.04.

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