Hughes grabs second gold with 400m IM victory

Nathan Hughes grabbed his second gold of the night with 400m Individual Medley victory at the 2016 British Summer Championships.

Having won 16 Yrs 1500m Freestyle gold earlier in the session, the Hatfield swimmer clocked 4:27.24 to lift the 400m IM crown.

Tom Dean had been the closest to Hughes in the heats with a PB 4:31.77 to Hughes’ 4:31.14. And the Maidenhead swimmer proved next best again in the final, lowering his lifetime best to 4:29.43.

But there was no keeping with Hughes in the final, as he tore to the front of the race in the opening 50m of the breaststroke leg and never looked back.

While the time was only the fifth fastest of his career, Hughes has been below 4:25 twice this season. Firstly when competing for England Programmes at the Energy Standard Cup in Italy in April. Then again with a PB 4:23.36 to finish fifth at July’s European Junior Championships in Hungary.

Joe Litchfield retains 17/18 Yrs crown

Doncaster Dartes’ Joe Litchfield was also in the European Junior final this year, finishing one place ahead of Hughes in fourth.

And like Hughes, the 18-year old topped the podium for his age group in Sheffield, defending his 17/18 Yrs crown from 2015.

Millfield’s fastest qualifier Brodie Williams looked to have the race in the bag, turning with a two-second lead – and a four second advantage over Litchfield – at the half way stage.

But Litchfield came storming back in the breaststroke and freestyle legs, ultimately sneaking ahead in the final length to win on 4:22.56.

While Litchfield was 0.05 seconds shy of his PB, Williams’ 4:22.95 was a lifetime best, beating his old marker of 4:24.57.

Fraser Minnican was the only swimmer to go faster than Litchfield on the day, winning the senior title. The Loughborough University swimmer sailed two seconds under his old PB from 2013 to take the touch in 4:20.11.

Ellesmere’s Charlie Hutchison was the other English champion in the boys’ 400m IM, taking the 13/14 Yrs crown with a four-second PB 4:31.15.

  • Click here to view results from the 2016 British Summer Championships in Sheffield.
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