Information on Loughborough

Loughborough swimmers contribute half of Britain’s World medal count

Posted on 27/12/2008

Loughborough University Website

Loughborough swimmers contribute half of Britain’s World medal count

Loughborough’s swimmers are celebrating after a best ever FINA World Championships (25m) that saw them provide half of Britain’s 24-strong medal count.

Newly-crowned World Champion Liam Tancock led the way as University swimmers notched up an impressive 12-medal haul comprising one gold, six silver and five bronze.

Tancock returns from the Championships with four individual medals and a host of European, Commonwealth and British records. The 22-year-old won gold in the 100m Backstroke, silver in the 200m Individual Medley and 50m Backstroke and bronze in the 100m Individual Medley, setting new British Records in all four events.

“It’s a fantastic achievement for me,” he said. “When I came here I would have been happy with one medal. To get four is unbelievable and I’ve had a great time. I hope what the team has done this week inspires others to get into the water; if we have then it’s job done.”

Team mate Caitlin McClatchey follows with a personal haul of four; bronze in the 200m Freestyle, silver in the 4x200m Freestyle, bronze in the 4x100m Freestyle and bronze for her involvement in the 4x100m Medley heats. Her individual swim was a lifetime best, while all relay swims were new British Records. Loughborough’s silver medallists include Kate Haywood, Ross Davenport , Mel Marshall and University-based David Davies, while James Goddard, Julia Beckett and Amy Smith joined Haywood and Marshall for bronze.

A total of 17 University Records fell at the five-day meet in Manchester that saw 12 of Loughborough’s 14 World Championship swimmers reach the finals. Of the two athletes not in finals, student Amy Smith was awarded bronze after qualifying Britain for the 4x100m Freestyle final and Joe Roebuck set a two-second lifetime best to finish ninth in the 200m Butterfly in a new University Record.

Loughborough University director of swimming Ian Armiger, who was part of Britain’s coaching staff in Manchester, was thrilled with the swimmers’ performances.

“Over the last two weeks at the Olympic Trials and World Championships we’ve witnessed the finest performance from Loughborough’s swimmers in the history of our programme. It’s been a golden period for us,” he said.

“Every Loughborough athlete swam a lifetime best in Manchester which is an incredible achievement.

“We were fully rested for the Olympic Trials which was an awesome meet and we kept the ball rolling from there. The athletes had a positive approach going from long course to short course and we continued to ride the wave of success. Our relaxed but focussed approach paid dividends.”

Loughborough’s World Championship swimmers are now enjoying a short rest period and will be back in action at the Stage 1 meet at Loughborough University from 25-27 April.

Loughborough’s World Championship medallists are as follows: Liam Tancock, GOLD 100m Backstroke, SILVER 200m Individual Medley, SILVER 50m Backstroke, BRONZE 100m Individual Medley Kate Haywood, SILVER 50m Breaststroke, BRONZE 4x100m Medley James Goddard, BRONZE 200m Individual Medley David Davies, SILVER 1500m Freestyle Caitlin McClatchey, SILVER 4x200m Freestyle, BRONZE 4x100m Freestyle, BRONZE 200m Freestyle, BRONZE 4x100m Medley (heat swim) Mel Marshall, SILVER 4x200m Freestyle, BRONZE 4x100m Freestyle, BRONZE 4x100m Medley (heat swim) Ross Davenport, SILVER 4x200m Freestyle David Carry, SILVER 4x200m Freestyle Julia Beckett, BRONZE 4x100m Freestyle Amy Smith, BRONZE 4x100m Freestyle (heat swim) -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:

1. Loughborough’s athletes at the FINA World Championships (25m) were as follows:

Julia Beckett Kate Haywood Mel Marshall Caitlin McClatchey Amy Smith David Carry (Loughborough-based) Euan Dale Ross Davenport David Davies (Loughborough-based) Craig Gibbons James Gibson James Goddard Joe Roebuck Liam Tancock

2. Heats start at 10am and finals are at 7pm. For more information log onto http://www.manchester2008.org

3. For live results log onto http://www.omegatiming.com

4. 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 Queens Anniversary Prizes an achievement bettered by no other university.