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.
It wouldn’t be much of a global swimming championship if there hadn’t been any controversy. In three of the past four meets of this calibre, the Olympics in Athens and the world championships of Fukuoka in 2001 and this year in Montreal, the swimming competition has been blighted by some indiscretion either called unnecessarily … Continue Reading→
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.
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.
2002 Commonwealth champion over 200m freestyle, Karen Pickering has confirmed what many have suspected for sometime, as she announced her retirement from international swimming.