Day three of the British Summer Championships at Ponds Forge in Sheffield saw eight new British Records posted, and more medals for Sam Dailley and Georgia Coates.
The Men’s MC 100m Freestyle event saw a hat-trick of British Records set. Josef Craig, who set a new S8 British Record in this morning's heat, lowered his time again to win gold in 59.19. Craig's City of Sunderland teammate Matthew Wylie posted a S9 British Record 58.12 to win silver.
After the race, an ecstatic Craig said: “I’m extremely happy, it’s the first time under the minute for me but what’s even more special is that both myself and my training partner, Matthew Wylie broke British Records tonight.
“I knew that I had a swim like that in me and I knew I could do it in this pool tonight.”
Tranent’s Stephen Clegg also posted a new S13 British Record touching the wall in 56.00 to finish fifth.
Hannah Russell won her second gold of the Championships in the Women’s MC 100m Free setting a new S12 British Record of 59.26.
City of Manchester Aquatics swimmer Rebecca Guy pulled away in the last five metres of the 19+yrs 100m Freestyle to win gold ahead of Plymouth Leander’s Shauna Lee and Keynsham’s Amelia Maughan.
In an equally close 17/18yrs 100m Free final, City of Derby’s Harriet Cooper took gold while Thanet Swim’s Katie Latham clinched second place ahead of Chelsea and Westminster’s Georgina Boyle.
"“I knew that I had a swim like that in me and I knew I could do it in this pool tonight," Josef Craig. Georgia Coates swam just 0.01 seconds inside her personal best to win her third gold of the Championships in the 16yrs 100m Free. The City of Leeds swimmer went on to win her second medal of the night in the 16yrs 200m Breaststroke. Coates closed in on Emma Cain’s commanding lead to take silver behind the Millfield swimmer.
A delighted Coates said: “I’m so happy, this has been my best British Championships so far.
“Going into this meet I hadn’t rested as much as normal, but after the first day I gained a lot of confidence which will be really good heading in to the World Juniors.
“It’s great to know that I am on form; you never know what might happen in Singapore.”
Katie Matts (Stockport Metro) dominated the 17/18yrs 200m Breaststroke, touching three seconds ahead of second place Katie McCarthy (City of Salford) with Beth Aitchison (Bournemouth College) taking third.
In an entirely different race, nothing separated the top three swimmers in the 19yrs+ 200m Breaststroke with 25 metres to go, but City of Liverpool’s Georgina Evans found the extra strength in the closing metres to touch ahead of University of Edinburgh’s Oliva White and Loughborough University’s Jocelyn Ulyett.
In the Men’s and Women’s MC 100m Breaststroke, silver medallists at the recent IPC World Championships, Scott Quin (SB14) and Charlotte Henshaw (SB6) both won gold only a fraction outside their respective British records.
Jay Lelliot held onto his early lead in the 19+yrs 200m Fly to take gold ahead of Bath University teammate Matthew Johnston. London Aquatics swimmer Michael Gunning produced a strong final 50 metres to clinch bronze from the outside lane.
After the race, a positive Lelliot said: “The last 50 metres hurt. I took it out really quickly, but that was the plan going into the race.
“I’m going a lot quicker than I was last year, I wanted to go a little quicker than that but I’m really happy to have topped the podium tonight.
“I had such an incredible experience at the World University Games, the atmosphere was incredible, and it has given me a lot of motivation moving forwards.”
“It’s great to know that I am on form; you never know what might happen in Singapore," Georgia CoatesKyle Chisholm went out fast in the 17/18yrs 200m Fly and took gold in an impressive display of determination. In the final stages of the race Dumfries’ Fraser Lowther was cutting into Chisholm’s lead with every stroke, but the Bo Kirklees swimmer dug deep to win gold. Lowther won silver while Derventio’s Jamie Ingram took bronze.
Plymouth Leander's Sam Dailley secured his third gold of the Championships in the 13/14yrs 200m Fly with Charlie Hutchison taking silver in a new 13yrs British Age Group Record of 2:08.05.
The duo also reached the podium in the 13/14yrs 200m IM. Shiverers swimmer Joel Thompson beat them both to win gold for the Sussex club while Ellesmere College's Hutchison set a British 13 Yrs Age Group record (2:11.64) for silver and Dailley claimed bronze.
In the 19+yrs 200m IM Bath University’s Lewis Coleman was able to maintain his strong start despite a late charge from Millfield’s Tristan Slater and Loughborough University’s Fraser Minnican who took silver and bronze respectively.
After settling for silver in yesterday’s 200m Backstroke, Hatfield’s Martyn Walton took control of the 17/18yrs 200m IM to win his first gold medal of the week ahead of Joe Litchfield (Doncaster Dartes) and Luke Greenbank (Cockermouth).
In other events, it was lucky number four in the Men’s 50m Backstroke events with the gold medallists in every age-group coming from the middle lane.
Plymouth Leander’s Oscar Brain took gold in the 13/14yrs 50m Backstroke ahead of teammate Sam Dailley who touched second to win his third medal of the night.
Loughborough University’s Joe Elwood took gold in the 19yrs+ 50m Backstroke while 15 year-old James Eddy (Wycombe District) and 16 year-old Daniel Cross (Bo Kirklees) topped the podium in their respective finals. James McFadzen was first to the wall in the Men’s 16yrs 50m Backstroke winning his second gold of the night.
McFadzen’s first gold came in the 16yrs 200m IM. The Wycombe District swimmer had a lead of three seconds going into the final 50 metres but he was pushed all the way to the wall by the field behind him.
Ryan Retson turned second at the half way mark of the 15yrs 200m IM but the FIRST swimmer showed his strength in the final stages of the race, pulling away from the field to win gold.
The top five swimmers in the Women’s 15yrs 100m Free were stroke for stroke going under the flags, but is was Team Ipswich’s Rebecca Sherwin who was able to hold on to win gold. In the 13/14yrs 100m Free, Wirral Metro’s Freya Anderson won gold in a new lifetime best.
Both the Women’s 13/14yrs and 15yrs 200m Breaststroke finals went right down to the touch but it was Sophia Wilson (City of Guilford) and Lara Bate (City of Manchester Aquatics) who won gold respectively.
Bate took the touch ahead of Layla Black (City of Leeds) by just 0.05 seconds knocking 8.4 seconds off her PB and setting a British 15 Yrs Age Group record (2:26.55) with Black lowering her British 14 Yrs Age Group record to 2:26.60.
Jacob Peter’s late challenge in the last 50 metres of the race saw the Poole swimmer take gold in the Men’s 15yrs 200m Fly, while in the 16yrs event, Thomas Beeley (Aberdeen) touched the wall in an impressive four seconds ahead of the field.
In the final events of the evening it was team glory for Millfield School in the Men’s 14/16 yrs 800m Free Relay while City of Sheffield topped the podium in the Men’s 17/over 800m Free Relay.