SWIMMING: Relay star Carlin out of freestyle (From This Is Wiltshire)

SWIMMING: Relay star Carlin out of freestyle

8:00am Saturday 14th August 2010 in

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SWINDON’S Jazmin Carlin came down to earth with a bump at the European Championships after crashing out of the 200m freestyle semi-finals less than 24 hours after claiming 4x200m freestyle relay bronze.

Carlin looked far from her best in Budapest as she finished sixth her semi-final and 12th fastest overall in a time of 1:59.83minutes – over a second outside her personal best.

After the elation of standing on the podium as part of the 4x200m freestyle relay team on Thursday night the 19-year-old admitted it was probably a case of after the Lord Mayor’s show.

“Getting a bronze medal in the relay was such a buzz so to come back and swim again was quite tough,” said Carlin.

“I was aiming for a best time though and I wanted to get a best time so to be a second off is disappointing but hopefully I can build on that.

“I think I might be a bit tired and a mixture of other things but it has all felt a bit rushed. I went out there and gave it my best shot and that is all experience and I’m in it for the long run so hopefully this will all pay off.”

Carlin – who claimed 4x200m freestyle relay bronze at last year’s Rome World Championships – now has a short break before she is back in the pool for the 400m freestyle on Sunday.

But with only two swimmers per nation allowed out of the heats Carlin admits she is going to have her work cut out to pip teammates and Olympic medallists Rebecca Adlington and Jo Jackson.

“I’ve got the 400m so hopefully I can just get in some rest and some sleep and hopefully come back fighting,” she added. “But the 400m is going to be such a tough event because I have Beccy and Jo and only two can make the final so I just have to go for it in the morning and in the night as well.

“We’ll see if I have enough in me right now to get another swim but it will be a good test.”

The nation’s leading energy supplier British Gas is the Principal Partner of British Swimming, and have pledged £15m to support the sport at all levels –from paddling pool to podium.

For more information visit www.britishgas.co.uk/swimming

• MATTHEW Thomas was Swindon Dolphin’s sole representative at the 2010 FINA World Masters Swimming Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden.

The competition displayed its usual high standard with some exceptionally fast swims, particularly in Thomas’ 25-29 year age group, that would not have looked out of place in the forthcoming domestic Open National Championships.

Thomas’ opening event was the 100m freestyle, where he finished 14th in a respectable 54.88 seconds.

Personal bests in the 50m freestyle and 50m breaststroke in times of 25.10secs and 32.48secs followed and a 28.48secs 50m butterfly fell just outside his best.

Thomas was pleased overall with his performances and happy to be the highest placed Briton in three of his four events.

Last week, Dolphin’s five National Youth Championships qualifiers were in Sheffield to compete amongst the best of Britain’s 14 to 18-year-olds, some of whom will undoubtedly become Olympians in the not too distant future.

As Dolphin’s highest ranked swimmer going into the championships, Elizabeth Beckett had the Dolphin contingent on tenterhooks as she eased her way through the heat stages of the 200m breaststroke in personal best and new club record times in both 200m and 100m split times, and later in the day went faster still in the semi-final.

Her 2.35.31 second swim secured a second ranked place in the 16/17 years final just half a second behind first ranked Francesca Marr of Hillingdon.

However, the challenge in the final came not from Marr, but from Avril Kiritschenko from City of Leeds who took command of the race at the 100m mark and powered her way to victory, with Beckett finishing in sixth place.

Liam Herbert had qualified for the 100m butterfly as well as his more usual 100m and 200m backstroke events. Despite a personal best in the 100m event, overall performances in the backstroke events were not as expected.

However, this did not deter the 16-year-old when going into the butterfly later on in the week. A determined heat swim in an unfavourable outside lane secured a semi-final place, as well as breaking the club record for the 50m and 100m distance in times of 27.18 and 59.63 respectively.

Herbert went faster again in the semi and finished a creditable 18th place overall.

Samantha Berry’s best performance came in the 100m butterfly with a personal best swim of 1.06.83, and she also competed in the 200m butterfly and 200m freestyle.

Other competitors for Dolphin were Joe Kerslake in the 200m backstroke and James Clark in the 100m and 200m breaststroke and 400m individual medley.