pullbuoy news: World Championships
beijing spots now available to britain's swimmers
In a surprising twist it has emerged that Britain's swimmer swill be able to book their Olympic place at this months World Championships in Melbourne. Bill Sweetenham, while remarking on how these championships will prove a valuable stepping stone on... [more...]
pool to be named after susie
Melbourne 2007 organisers have confirmed that the temporary pool being used for the championships will be named after one of Australia's most successful and well loved swimmers, Susie O'Neill. The pool is located inside Rod Laver Arena, more usually known... [more...]
british swimmers selected for shanghai
The British squad for the 2006 World Short Course Championships has been announced, with 8 swimmers set to compete in Shanghai Next April. The small team, all of whom will compete in the Commonwealth games before travelling to China, will... [more...]
davies and tancock save the best for last
Liam Tancock and David Davies rescued what has been an otherwise wretched competition for Britain on the last night of competition at the World Cchampionships in Montreal. The duo took bronze medals in the 50m backstroke and 1500m freestyle respectively, as the meet ended leaving Britain with an overall tally of three third places. There was also a 6th placed finish in the 50m Breaststroke for Kate Haywood. [more...]
hope at last for british squad
By comparison with earlier nights in Montreal, the penultimate finals session off the world championships had some encouraging moments for Britain, as Loughborough teammates Liam Tancock and Kate Haywood advanced to the finals of the 50m backstroke and breaststroke respectively. Also giving hope to the British squad was David Davies' qualification as the fastest swimmer for the final of the 1500m freestyle. [more...]
sexton relinquishes world title
On a night of world records in Montreal, Britain's only representative in the evening session Katy Sexton failed to progress to the final of the 200m backstroke, posting a time well outside her best. There was better news, however, for Becky Cooke who bounced back from her 4x200m freestyle relay disappointment to qualify for the 800m freestyle final. [more...]
relay torture for british quartet
The fifth night of finals produced the nearest of misses for the British team as the Women’s 4x200n freestyle relay finished fourth in their final, having held the bronze medal position for much of the race. There was little else to cheer for the British team either, as both Gregor Tait and James Goddard failed to progress from the semi finals of the 200m backstroke. [more...]
mew sent home from montreal
Darren Mew was sensationally sent home from Montreal last night following his disappointing performance in the 100m breaststroke heats, where he failed to progress to the semi finals after clocking 1:02.43. That time was over two seconds outside his Commonwealth... [more...]
hackett king of the pool in montreal
A personal best performance for David Davies was not enough to get the Welshman into medal contention in the 800m freestyle, a race that was dominated by Grant Hackett on his way to a new world record. Elsewhere the best finish for Britain came from Chris Cook in the 50m breaststroke, while Mel Marshall fell at the final hurdle in the 200m freestyle. [more...]
three progress to finals as gibson and cooke falter
Personal best performances from David Davies and Chris Cook were the highlights on an otherwise disappointing day in Montreal for Britain's swimmers. Davies qualified fourth fastest for tomorrow's 800m freestyle final, while Cook set his third PB of the meet to secure a spot in the 50m breaststroke final. [more...]
creditable sixth for cook
Chris Cook was the only British swimmer participating in finals on the second evening of competition, and finished a creditable 6th in the final of the 100m breaststroke. Swimming in Lane 2, the Newcastle swimmer clocked 1:00.99, shy of his personal best from the semis but still under his pre-Montreal best, and was unable to get himself into the medal race happening in the centre of the pool. [more...]
bronze for superb mcclatchey
Caitlin McClatchey got Britain off to a great start in Montreal as she took a thrilling bronze medal in the women's 400m freestyle. The Loughborough university swimmer qualified in 5th position for the final, but produced a well paced swim to improve her placing to the medal positions. [more...]
mcclatchey the star as worlds team finalised
Loughborough University's Caitlin McClatchey was the star of the final two days of the Stage 3 selection meet in Swansea, as she erased the oldest women's British Record still in the books. Already slated to swim in the 4x200m freestyle relay, McClatchey's swim of 4:07.02 destroyed Sarah Hardcastle's 1986 effort of 4:07.68. [more...]
carry leads the way in swansea
David Carry smashed his personal best over 400m freestyle to qualify for the World Championships at the Stage 3 Selection meet in Swansea. The Scot was one of three new names added to the team sheet ahead of next month's competition in Montreal. [more...]
burnett, kidd out of worlds
British 200m freestyle record holder Simon Burnett will miss this year's world championships following an illness. Meanwhile Matt Kidd has announced his retirement from swimming. [more...]
brits impress in california
Two medals, both bronze. That was it for the British swimming contingent at last summer’s Olympics in Athens. Disappointing? Absolutely. Embarrassing? Sure. Great Britain expected much more. For that reason, the upcoming World Championships in Montreal serve as an opportunity... [more...]
hoogie out of worlds
Dutch Olympic champion Pieter van den Hoogenband has been forced out of this year's world championships in Montreal following a slower than expected recovery from a hernia operation. The Olympic 100m freestyle champion in Athens, van den Hoogenband is yet... [more...]
five more for montreal
Five more swimmers added their names to the Montreal team sheet on the final day of competition in Manchester, swelling the number of selected athletes to 10. The final afternoon of 11 finals didn't produce any British records but there were some encouraging swims along the way. [more...]
tancock sets new standard
Liam Tancock of Loughborough University lowered his own British record over 50m backstroke as he became the 5th swimmer to book his place on the world championships team. Meanwhile Rebecca Cooke also inked her name onto the team sheet, recording a personal best time over 800m freestyle. [more...]
marshall bounces back to form
Melanie Marshall helped the women's 4x200m relay squad to world championship qualification in taking the 200m title, but her time of 1:58.50 was just shy of the individual standard. [more...]
three on the way to montreal
James Goddard equalled the British record over 100m backstroke in Manchester last night as he joined James Gibson and Kirsty Balfour on the team for the Montreal World Championships. Meanwhile Rebecca Cooke set a new British record in the 400IM. [more...]
haywood blasts to british record
Kate Haywood posted the best swim of the opening night of the British World Championship trials as she scorched her way to a new British Record of 1:08.14 in the Women's 100m breaststroke semi finals. [more...]
elka graham to miss worlds
Dual Olympian Elka Graham will miss this year's world championships in Montreal after she was forced to undergo arthroscopic surgery in Melbourne on Thursday on a nagging right hip injury and will now not compete in the Autralian World Championship... [more...]
fina gives montreal back world champs
In a u-turn that has shocked the swimming world FINA has decided to return the 2005 World Swimming Championships back to Montreal, less than a month after they stripped the Canadian city of the hosting rights. [more...]