British Swimming Championships: Scots trio book Beijing Olympic places

A TRIO of Scottish swimmers are celebrating a day of outstanding success in the pool as they booked their places at the Beijing Olympics later this year with victories at the British Championships in Sheffield.

Caitlin McClatchey, Gregor Tait and David Carry won three of the four titles on offer in Yorkshire this morning, and their triumphs earned them a place on the plane to represent Great Britain in China in August.

McClatchey added the 100 metres freestyle title to the 200m and 400m she already holds. City of Edinburgh's Tait edged out his rivals to claim the 100m backstroke while Carry, of City of Aberdeen, powered to victory in the 400m freestyle.

In the remaining final – the women's 200m butterfly – Jemma Lowe, who celebrated her 18th birthday yesterday by breaking the British record, edged out 16-year-old Ellen Gandy.

Swimmers have to achieve the Olympic qualifying time set by British Swimming in the heats and then need to finish in the top two in the final for selection. In order to replicate the programme in Beijing, heats are swum in the evening with the finals the following morning.

In what has become a strong event, Lowe, Ellen Gandy, Jessica Dickons and Hannah Miley all achieved the qualifying time meaning four swimmers were chasing two places. Lowe had a superb start and was clearly ahead after the first length although Gandy and Dickons came back over the second 50m.

It was that order at the final turn although Gandy came back over the last length as the Borough of Stockton swimmer faded but Lowe just touched out her rival to win in 2mins 07.61secs, 0.08secs ahead of Gandy as both qualified for the Games.
Lowe admitted it had been a tough race, saying: "That was a lot more painful than yesterday. I was a bit nervous for this morning and I bet there is no-one else in the world who can say they went to bed at 9pm on their 18th birthday. But it doesn't matter – I got the British record – and now I'm going to Beijing."

McClatchey had claimed Fran Halsall's British record in last night's heats and here the double Commonwealth champion overhauled Halsall in the final metres to win in 54.58, with the City of Liverpool swimmer second in 54.81. The 22-year-old said: "I was really pleased with that, I wanted to qualify for the 4x100m. The girls are really strong."

Asked whether she was happy with the swim that earned her selection to Beijing, the 17-year-old Halsall said: "Not really. I'm a bit disappointed, I wanted to swim faster. It just slipped away from me."

There was a note of contention when former British record holder Mel Marshall was not allowed to take her place in the final because she was outside the ready room – where swimmers are required to gather before their race – rather than in it and was deemed to have not registered.

Tait just touched out Matt Clay and youngster Marco Loughran in a blanket finish in the backstroke where three swimmers were vying for one place as Liam Tancock had been pre-selected.

The City of Edinburgh swimmer set a new personal best of 54.22 although he was only third at the halfway point and said: "It was just all about racing – I didn't know where anyone else was. Now I've qualified (for Beijing) I can look forward to the 200m."
In the 400m, Dean Milwain, world and Olympic 1,500m bronze medallist David Davies and Carry all achieved the qualifying time, but Davies pulled out of the final meaning the others just had to finish in the top two.

Carry, from City of Aberdeen, eventually touched first in 3:49.78 ahead of Milwain in 3:50.50 and Robbie Renwick in third (3:51.80).