Kate Haywood fails to qualify for the 2011 Shanghai World Championships
Kate Haywood, the European gold medallist and 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games bronze medallist was unable to book her spot for the 2011 Shanghai World Championships in July. She lost the 100m breast-stroke final to Bath University’s Stacy Tadd in a time of
1:09.36 against her 1:10.36 on day three of the 2011 British Gas Swimming Championship.
Haywood, who qualified for the final as the fastest swimmer, found her rival’s finishing time well beyond her expectations and was very unhappy with her position.
"I don't know what to say about that race really because it just didn't go how I wanted it to at all," she said.
Haywood, after some disappointing performances, is currently residing in Australia and has been training with the Olympic gold medallist Leisel Jones to ignite her performance level.
She returned to the UK last week, in order to qualify for the 2011 World Championships in Manchester Aquatics Centre. In 2002, at the age of 15, she became the youngest swimmer to participate in the Commonwealth games on this very swimming pool, but now
she missed her chance to enter Britain’s team for China.
Haywood was ruling the race from the very start, but Tadd stunningly passed her over in the last 25m of the race, for which she was unable to control the flow of her tears.
Haywood unimaginably performed at the 2010 Budapest European Championships. First, she was disqualified from the 100m breast-stroke, but then she smashed a silver medal in the 50m breast-stroke.
She will compete in the 50m breast-stroke at this championship, but the selection committee is not considering shorter distances as a basis for team selection for the Shanghai Championships.
Haywood still has a chance to be eligible for China at the Amateur Swimming Association National Championships in June, but she has decided not to come-back to the UK for the second trials.
"It was just awful really out there. I felt awful when I got up in the morning and just before the race. I went for it but it just didn't go well at all. That means there is no World Championships for me now because I'd already decided that I would not come
back for the second trials in June,” she added.
She uttered that she is devastated now, but she will get a hold of herself and will focus on the preparations for 2012 London Olympics in July. She also said that not trying to qualify for this year’s World Championships will keep her schedule vacant and
she will be able to train more for the mega event.
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