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15/09/2002: BSC day 4 heats: Last chance saloon for swimmers
The final day of competition got underway this morning, with the last session of heats talking place in the competition pool at Parkside. Once again, several of Britain’s medallists from Manchester were in action and once again they experienced few problems in making their way though to the closing session of finals.
The women’s 50m freestyle got events underway and once again it was Alison Sheppard who led the way. Her time of 25.41 was comfortably quicker than Ros Brett, who was second fastest through in winning her heat. Hatfield’s Vicky Cook looked strong winning the first heat, but has a major job on her hands if she is to make the requisite junior standard for European selection. In similar fashion the men’s 50 fly heats should have been all about Mark Foster, but with his withdrawal it was left to 100 and 200 winner James Hickman to head the qualifiers in 24.77. It’s hard to see who will challenge him, but Bath’s Mark Graves and Stirling’s Todd Cooper both looked strong in their heat and are likely to feature in the semis and final tonight. Foster should make the trip to Riesa in any case, having qualified earlier in the week for the 50m freestyle.
Sarah Price eases through the
200 backstroke heats
Julia Preston of Leeds has special reason to be looking forward to the 400IM final tonight. The 16 year old from City of Leeds has a best some way inside the junior qualification time for the European Championships and is therefore likely to make the team, having swum just outside the standard this morning. She will have to cope with the strength of Becky Cooke if she wants the title though, as the Glasgow swimmer swept through her heat on the last 100m to qualify. Preston has the better breastroke leg and will need to use that advantage to get well clear of Cooke, whose freestyle this morning was the difference between her and the rest of her heat.
The men’s 200m breastroke is sadly lacking Adam Whitehead, who injured his back warming up for the 100m breastroke final, but in his absence it was Ian Edmond who led the qualifiers. Edmond was a medallist in Antwerp last year, but has yet to book his place on the team for this year’s European short course. This event represents his last and best chance of achieving that feat. Darren Mew still has the chance of a breastroke clean sweep at this event, but Adrian Turner pipped him in his heat, after the medley specialist came back from a significant deficit at halfway over the second 100m of the race.
It was all about the Karens in the 200m freestyle, with Legg and Pickering easing through to qualification. However it was Loughborough’s Melanie Marshall who looked most impressive. Fresh from a good showing over 200m long course at the Greek nationals, Marshall blew Legg away over the last 50 of their heat to dip under 2 minutes for the first time in 1.59.46, the only swimmer to do so. Pickering looked very easy meanwhile, winning her heat but being significantly slower than her main rivals. It was good to see Marshall’s Loughborough team mate Janine Belton make a return to some kind of form following a disappointing showing in Manchester. She won her heat and qualified but was well down on the leading time.
It was last chance time for Jamie Salter in the corresponding men’s event and today could be one of the last times we see the Edinburgh swimmer in action at this level depending on the outcome f tonight’s final, which will determine whether he makes the team for Riesa. Wycombe’s Simon Burnett produced a well controlled but fast swim, looking extremely smooth as he posted a 1.50.05. In the same heat David Davies set his 5th Welsh record of the meet in the same heat recording a 1.51.17 to come in just behind Burnett. Both made the final, but were down on Salter who made no mistake qualifying fastest in 148.63, ahead of Gavin Meadows in second. Salter and Meadows were both under the selection time and a repeat performance tonight should see them both on the plane, unless Welsh wonder Davies can produce something special to make the junior time.
The session close in familiars fashion, with Sarah Price once again heading the backstroke qualifiers for tonight’s 200m final. As usual she was well clear of her domestic rivals and soul have no problem retaining her title. Her nearest challenger just could be young Stephanie Proud, who gave Commonwealth bronze medallist Katy Sexton a torrid time in their heat, pushing the Portsmouth swimmer into second.