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Paul Barnard among record breakers in fourth session of British Masters

Paul Barnard starred with 400m Freestyle gold as a flurry of records were broken in the fourth session of the 2017 British Masters and Senior Age Group Championships in Aberdeen.

Barnard became the youngest man to break an individual record at the meet so far as he took down the 35-39 Years British 400m Free marker.

The Trafford Metro swimmer went nearly three seconds faster than his time to win bronze in the same age group at last year’s European Championships as he came home in 4:17.85.

The time put paid to Richard Stannard’s six-year old record of 4:19.45, set in January 2011.

There were some familiar faces rewriting the record books in the women’s 400m Freestyle as Sophie Casson and Karen Graham impressed.

Having set an 800m Freestyle world record on the opening day, Carnforth Otters swimmer Casson broke the European 400m Free record for the 30-34 Years age group.

The 32-year old was the quickest swimmer across all of the women’s age groups as she clocked 4:23.39. Her effort sailed under Caroline Saxby’s old marker of 4:27.11 from 2013.

Karen Graham also set her second British record of the meet with gold in the 50-54 Years age group.

Having won the 200m Free in a BR on the opening day, the East Leeds swimmer proved just as effective over twice the difference. Graham came home in 4:58.38, beating her 4:58.71 marker from April 2016.

Four records downed in 50m Backstroke

Another four records were broken in the 50m Backstroke in session four.

Barnard’s Trafford Metro teammate Alec Johnson was the only male swimmer to set a new national marker. The 55-year old clocked 31.63 to beat his own record of 31.78, set earlier this season.

Michelle Ware, Jo Corben and Kath Tunnicliffe all took down records in the women’s event.

Guildford City’s Ware, already a record-breaker in Aberdeen with the Guildford mixed relay quartet, set a new marker in the 40-44 Years age group. Ware clocked 31.95 to beat her own record of 32.07, set to win silver at last year’s European Championships.

Corben also lowered her own record as she clocked 32.45 to win gold in the 45-49 Years age group.

Finally, Tunnicliffe backed up her gold in the 100m Backstroke with a British record 39.44 for victory in the 65-69 Years age group.

Aberdeen take senior age group marker in home pool

Aberdeen Dolphins clocked the only relay record of the session, beating the oldest men’s relay record in the senior age group (72-99 Years).

The 4x50m Medley Relay quartet of Stuart McIntosh, Scott Macdougall, Robert Bryce and Eddie Watson set a new marker of 1:46.53. Their effort in their home pool smashed the old time of 1:50.13, set by Stockport Metro in 2008.

Image credit: Brian Battensby

  • Click here to view full results from the British Masters and Senior Age Group Championships 2017 in Aberdeen.
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