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.
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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.
The 200m Individual Medley was won by British record holder Hannah Miley 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.
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.
Louise Hudson, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine
Image credit: Speedo
