Latest news from Loughborough University
| 4 April 2008 | PR 08/45 |
Swimming: University Record puts Dale in Olympic contention
Loughborough’s Euan Dale set a lifetime best in the 400m Individual Medley to become the latest University swimmer to qualify for the Beijing Olympics this week in Sheffield.
Dale’s consideration time has pushed the number of University-based swimmers within reach of the Games to ten, with a further two days of competition still to go.
In an event that saw Welsh swimmer Thomas Haffield set a new Commonwealth Record in the heats, Dale and team mate Joe Roebuck were fighting it out for a top two spot this morning.
Having both achieved qualifying times last night, just three hundredths of a second separated the two going into the final.
Dale knocked more than a second and a half off his time this morning to win silver in a new University Record of 4:16.33 and put himself up for Beijing selection. Roebuck won bronze in 4:18.05, while Loughborough team mate Edward Downes finished seventh in 4:28.38.
“What a relief,” said Dale. “I didn’t swim my
race very well last night and went out too quickly during the butterfly,
which meant I struggled during the latter part of the race.
“With Joe and I so evenly matched in terms of time, I knew I had
to pace myself better today and use the freestyle leg to my advantage
to earn that all important top two finish.
“Two personal bests in two days is unexpected but I’m obviously
thrilled with my times and of course my place on the Olympic team.”
In the 200m Breaststroke, University swimmer Craig Elliot won bronze in 2:15.23 and Christopher Watkinson finished sixth 2:17.36.
In the women’s events, Loughborough’s ladies were all on form for lifetime bests in the heats; the quartet of Julia Beckett, Rebecca Shaw, Georgina Fromson and Emma Boret all achieving in the 100m Butterfly. Beckett qualified for the final but withdrew to concentrate on other events.
Pre-selected Loughborough swimmers:
Liam Tancock, 100m Backstroke, added 200m Individual Medley at Trials
David Davies (Loughborough-based), 1500m Freestyle
Loughborough University swimmers within Olympic qualification
times (British Swimming to confirm squad on Sunday 6 April):
David Carry (Loughborough-based), 400m Freestyle, 4x200m Freestyle
Dean Milwain, 400m Freestyle, 4x200m Freestyle
Caitlin McClatchey, 100m Freestyle
Julia Becket, 4x100m Freestyle
James Goddard, 200m Individual Medley, 200m Backstroke
Kate Haywood, 100m Breaststroke
Ross Davenport, 200m Freestyle
Euan Dale, 400m Individual Medle
Gemma Spofforth (Florida University, made final Trial preparations at
Loughborough), 100m Backstroke
-ENDS-
For all media enquiries contact:
- Amanda Overend, Sports PR Officer, Loughborough University,
T: 01509 228686, E: A.J.Overend@lboro.ac.uk
Notes for editors:
- The British Swimming Championships (Olympic Trials) take place at Ponds Forge, Sheffield, from 31 March to 6 April. Heats start at 6pm and finals are at 10am. Live results are available via http://www.britishswimming.org
- Loughborough University athletes in action this week
are as follows:
Men
Liam Tancock, 200m Backstroke & 200m Individual Medley
James Gibson, 100m Breaststroke
Euan Dale, 200m Freestyle, 200m & 400m Individual Medley
Ross Davenport, 50m, 100m & 200m Freestyle
David Davies, 200m & 400m Freestyle (Based at Lboro)
David Carry, 100m, 200m & 400m Freestyle (Based at lboro)
James Goddard, 100m, 200m Backstroke & 200m Individual Medley
Craig Gibbons, 50m, 100m Freestyle & 100m Backstroke
Dean Milwain, 200m & 400m Freestyle
Joe Roebuck, 200m Butterfly, 200m & 400m Individual Medley
Chris Watkinson, 100m & 200m Breaststroke
Scott Hathaway, 100m & 200m Backstroke
Daniel Coombs, 100m, 200m, 400m Freestyle & 200m Individual Medley
Grant Turner, 50m, 100m, 200m & 400m Freestyle
Joe Canlan Shaw, 100m, 200m Backstroke & 200m Individual Medley
Jonathon Cook, 200m & 400m Individual Medley
Daniel Fogg, 400m & 1500m Freestyle
Craig Elliot, 100m & 200m Breaststroke
Jamie Broom, 200m & 400m Freestyle
James Clarke, 100m, 200m, 400m Freestyle & 100m Butterfly
Ewan Martin, 100m & 200m Breaststroke
Jonathon Gatley, 400m Individual Medley
James Tait, 100m Breaststroke
Edward Downes, 200m Buttefly, 200m & 400m Individual Medley
Adam Freundlich, 100m Breaststroke
Josh Ker, 100m & 200m Butterfly
James Lovatt, 100m, 200m Backstroke & 200m Individual Medley
Michael Unsworth, 1500m Freestyle
Women
Caitlin McClatchey, 100m, 200m, 400m & 800m Freestyle
Melanie Marshall, 100m, 200m Freestyle, 100m & 200m Backstroke
Julia Beckett, 100m, 200m, 400m Freestyle & 100m Butterfly
Kate Haywood, 100m & 200m Breaststroke
Amy Smith, 50m, 100m & 200m Freestyle
Rebecca Shaw, 200m Freestyle, 100m & 200m Butterfly
Aimee Ramm, 50m & 100m Freestyle
Claudia Coleman, 50m & 100m Freestyle, 100m Backstroke & 200m Individual Medley
Sophie Casson, 200m Freestyle, 100m & 200m Backstroke
Emma Boret, 100m & 200m Butterfly
Jade Barclay, 200m Butterfly
Georgina Fromson, 100m Butterfly
Julianne Lago, 100m & 200m Butterfly - Loughborough is one of the country’s leading
universities, with an international reputation for excellence in teaching
and research, strong links with industry and unrivalled sporting achievement.
It is a member of the esteemed 1994 Group – a set of internationally recognised, research intensive universities – and has a reputation for the relevance of its work. Its degree programmes are highly regarded by professional institutions and businesses, and its graduates are consistently targeted by the UK’s top recruiters.
Loughborough is also the UK’s premier university for sport. It has perhaps the best integrated sports development environment in the world and is home to some of the country’s leading coaches, sports scientists and support staff. It also has the country’s largest concentration of world-class training facilities across a wide range of sports.
In the 2007 National Student Survey, the University was voted fourth in the UK, with 23 out of 29 of Loughborough’s subject areas being ranked in the top ten for overall satisfaction. Loughborough is also ranked in the top fifteen of UK universities in national league tables. It was named winner of the 2006 and 2007 Times Higher award for the UK’s Best Student Experience and winner of the 2007 award for Outstanding Support for Overseas Students. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, the University has been awarded six Queen's Anniversary Prizes – an achievement bettered by no other university.