Jemma Lowe wins Women’s 100m butterfly final - British Gas ASA National Championships
Jemma Lowe of Swansea Perf won the gold medal in the open category of the Women’s 100m butterfly final on day one of the 2011 British Gas ASA Long Course National Championships, held in Sheffield.
The long Course championships is a second trial attempt for the British swimmers to confirm their spots in the British team to the 2011 Shanghai World Championships, this July.
The 21-year-old Lowe dominated the Women’s 100m event, by touching the wall in a time of 57.43 seconds. She was followed by Loughborough University’s Francesca Halsall, who stayed only 0.01 seconds away and followed her on the finishing wall, by clocking an irresistible time of 57.44 seconds. The third spot on the podium was secured by Jessica Sylvester of Nova Centurion, who demonstrated a fantastic swim of 1 minute and 00.61 seconds for the bronze medal.
Lowe owns the silver crown of the 200m butterfly, which she won at the 2010 Dubai Short Course World Championships. She is also a two-time bronze medallist of the 100m butterfly and the 4*100m medley relay at the 2008 Manchester World Championships.
Lowe, who took-off from the diving blocks in second place behind Halsall, completed her first lap in the second fastest time of 27.14 seconds. Halsall comfortably out-touched Lowe in the initial lap, by touching the wall in a time of 26.48 seconds. They were followed by Sylvester, who clocked a time of 28.13 seconds on the first turn.
In the second lap, Lowe enhanced her sprint to edge out her strongest competitor, Halsall, with a difference of only 0.01 seconds. Sylvester was considerably away from Halsall and did not cause much trouble to her for the silver medal.
The fourth position of the event went to Amanda Nugent, who stayed 0.09 seconds away from the bronze medallist, posting a time of 1 minute and 00.70 seconds. She was followed by Rachael Kelly and Tilly Gray, who occupied fifth and sixth positions, with timings of 1:00.72 and 1:00.87 minutes, respectively.
The championships will continue for three more days to finalise the British team to compete in China.
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