British and Home Nation Trials, Sheffield. Day 1 Prelims
Rebecca Adlington, Olympic 400m and 800m free champion, led the way into what promises to be a thriller of a 200m free final as racing got underway at Brit trials (Europe and Commonwealth) in Sheffield this morning. The 20-year-old, coached by Bill Furniss at Nottingham and racing in the third of five heats, of an event that offers no second-chance semi, left nothing to chance: in 1:59.76 she claimed lane four for the final.
Joanne Jackson, Olympic and world medallist over 400m, will race in lane 5, after a 1:59.90 effort, with European s/c medley champion Hannah Miley third through on 2:00.84. Also in the mix are Rebecca Turner (2:00.44), Jazz Carlin (2:00.99), Commonwealth champion Caitlin McClatchey (2:01.12), Francesca Halsall (2:01.33), 16-year-old Lucy Ellis on 2:01.66, with the last entry for the 10-lane final a 2:01.75 by Lucy Worrall, 17. The depth in the event promises much for Britain's 4x200m relay now and in the years ahead.
Liam Tancock, of Loughborough, led the way in 50m back prelims, on 25.53. Jemma Lowe, who trains out in Florida, and Ellen Gandy, based in Australia, led the way in the 50m 'fly on 27.66 and 27.67 respectively. Lowe is preselected to race for Wales in Delhi.
A stroke for stroke tussle in the third heat of the 400m freestyle saw Robert Renwick, of City of Glasgow, on 3:53.19, and David Carry 0.02sec away, take the middle two lanes for the final. Defending champion David Davies, preselected for Wales for the Commonwealth Games and having placed the pool events in Budapest down the list of his priorities this year, missed the cut for the 10-lane final, in 11th on 3:58.49. Davies has not rested for the meet, his focus on the LEN Cup 10km marathon in May and qualification for the world champs in Canada in July.
Miley, of Garioch, was back in the pool less than an hour after qualifying for the 200m free final, this time leading the way in the 200m medley, on 2:15.13. Second through was 16-year-old Aimee Wilmott, of Middlesborough, on 2:16.47.
Lane four of the 200m 'fly will be occupied by Michael Rock, of Stockport, on 1:58.37 this morning. The other two under 2mins this morning: Roberto Pavoni, 18, on 1:59.65, and Andrew Mayor, City of Newcastle, on 1:59.93.
