News Round-Up: 

Britain: Olympic silver medallist Michael Jamieson, of Bath, clocked 2:11.75 to win the 200m breaststroke at the Derventio eXcel February Festival at Ponds Forge, Sheffield. Jamieson broke through last year become a household name in Britain by taking silver a touch behind Hungarian Daniel Gyurta's world-record win at London 2012. In Sheffield today, Brit Olympic team 100m man Craig Benson took second in 2:14.12, with Laurent Carnol (LUX) third in 2:15.93 ahead own the winner;s training partner and fellow Olympic finalist Andrew Willis, on 2:17.13. In other action involving Olympic team members, Siobhan-Marie O'Connor broke the 2min mark in the 200m free, on 1:59.50; Joe Roebuck Joseph Roebuck clocked 53.79 in the 100m butterfly ahead of Roberto Pavoni, on 54.42; in the morning session, Pavoni clocked 51.13 to take the 100m free and 56.99 to win the 100m backstroke; and Sophie Allen was the sole sub-1:10 effort in the 100m breaststroke, on 1:09.36. Teenager Levi Lucas, below 52 for 5th in the 100m free earlier in the day, took the dash in 23.25. Results in full.

Australia: James Magnussen granted the Sunday Mail in Sydney some time and in return they treat him to the following introduction to their article: "Olympic flop James Magnussen…". The Missile, just into his 20s on a sensational 47.10 on the way to London took silver by 0.01sec over 100m free behind a terrific swim from Nathan Adrian (USA) in the Olympic final. If that makes him a "flop", God help the vast majority. The paper goes on to tell us that Magnussen "was so worried by his failure to win gold at the London Olympics that he locked himself away, too scared to leave the house." Magnussen said: "I didn't want to go out. I was petrified. But the first time I went out everyone was so positive it was just a weight off my shoulders. It was just such a relief that people were supporting me and not on the negative bandwagon." Just the odd "flop" to get over from now on in. 

USA: Katie Ledecky, Olympic 800m free champion, set a national high school record of 4:33.14 in the 500-yard freestyle at the Metro Championships in Boyds, Maryland, Racing for Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, she clocked 4:33.14 in heats to get inside Kate Ziegler's 2006 mark of 4:33.35. Yards is swum only in the United States these days. Across in Fort Collins, Colorado, double Olympic backstroke champion Missy Franklin opened her last night of high school racing with a US independent school record of 1:56.86 in the 200y medley at the Colorado State High School Championships. 

Italy: At the Viterbo s/c meet, Federico Vanelli clocked 15:05.28 to win the 1500m free, Martina Caramignoli taking the 800m free for women in 8:29.15. Nicole Valentini clocked 2:26.77 in the 200m breaststroke, the men's race going to Mattia Sangiacomo in 2'13"10 over Matteo Fraschi's 2:13.85.