A third gold for Siobhan-Marie O’Connor and bronze for Jemma Lowe concluded a successful week for University of Bath-based swimmers at the 2016 British Swimming Championships in Glasgow.
Fourteen medals in total are coming back to the Sports Training Village after a meeting where three British Swimming National Centre Bath athletes – O’Connor, Jazz Carlin and Andrew Willis – set the Rio 2016 Olympic qualification standard.
A host of students in Mark Skimming’s training group also impressed, with Anna Hopkin and Jay Lelliott both earning podium places at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre.
Sunday’s action saw O’Connor – fresh from booking her Rio place in the 200m individual medley – pull away in the final length to win 100m breaststroke gold in 1:07.15, just outside the Olympic consideration time.
“I was really going for that 100m breaststroke,” said O’Connor, who also won 100m freestyle gold on Friday.
“It’s been a good meet and I was happy to get three golds. I was slightly disappointed with some swims and happier with others but that’s what it’s like at a British Championships.”
O’Connor missed out on a fourth medal in the 100m butterfly, where she was pipped to a podium place by training partner Lowe. She in turn was less than three-tenths of a second behind gold-medalist Alys Thomas.
Joe Hulme – also coached by Dave McNulty and Graeme Antwhistle at the National Centre Bath – continued his fine week by reaching the 200m backstroke final, where he finished fifth.
With the racing concluded, British Swimming selectors will now put together the squad to represent Team GB at this summer’s Olympic Games, with eight swimmers having met the qualification standard during the week.
The team will be announced at the University of Bath Sports Training Village London 2012 Legacy Pool on Thursday.
University of Bath roll of honour
Gold: Jazz Carlin (200m freestyle, 400m freestyle, 800m freestyle); Siobhan-Marie O’Connor (100m freestyle, 100m breaststroke, 200m individual medley); Lizzie Simmonds (200m backstroke); Chris Walker-Hebborn (100m backstroke); Andrew Willis (200m breaststroke).
Silver: Anna Hopkin (50m freestyle); Lizzie Simmonds (100m backstroke).
Bronze: Jay Lelliott (200m butterfly, 400m freestyle); Jemma Lowe (100m butterfly).
Report courtesy of Team Bath Press Office at Matchtight Ltd
