Ellie Faulkner wins 200m Free with PB at Winter Champs

Ellie Faulkner opened the first final session of the Swim England Winter Championships 2017 with a bang, swimming under the personal best time she posted at the British Summer Championships to qualify for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

The City of Sheffield swimmer had been neck-and-neck with Canada’s Taylor Ruck throughout the 200m Freestyle final.

However, down the final 50 metres, Faulkner dug in deep to take the win in 1:56.76 for gold.

Commenting on her performance, Faulkner said: “To be honest, I’m in complete shock [at getting the PB]. I’m only partially rested for this meet because I’ve already qualified. So for me it was about racing hard and training hard at the same time.

“Coming out with a PB was a shock, but I feel like I have got much more to come and hopefully I can bring it out at the Gold Coast.”

Holly Hibbott of Stockport Metro was almost three seconds behind, but was still under the qualification time for Commonwealth Games selection. She touched in a PB 1:59.24 to take silver, breaking two minutes for the first time. Beth Aitchison followed up for third in a time of 2:00.40.

Alice Dearing was impressive in the B final of the 200m Freestyle, beating Leah Crisp of Leeds and Stockport Metro’s Elizabeth Harris to the touch. Dearing, of Loughborough Uni, touched in a new personal best 2:02.07 for the title.

Greenbank powers to gold in 100m Back

Luke Greenbank of Loughborough University beat reigning 100m Backstroke Commonwealth champion Chris Walker-Hebborn to the touch.

Greenbank was half a second from the qualifying time for the Gold Coast, touching in a new personal best time of 54.58.

“I was really pleased with that,” said Greenbank, who has already been named on the 2018 Commonwealth team for 200m Backstroke.

“It’s been a long time since I got a PB in the 100m Back so I’m really pleased with it.

“I knew going in it was going to be a close one. Any of those guys could have taken it so I just tried to swim my own way and have my own race. I came back really strong which was good and part of my race plan.”

Walker-Hebborn took silver in 54.68. Bronze went to Greenbank’s Loughborough team mate Daniel Cross in 54.76.

In the B final, Loughborough Uni’s James Oxborrow managed to get some distance between him and Pioneer 79’s Thomas Gilroy.

He swam a personal best time of 56.88, taking 0.8 seconds from the time he set at the Swim England National Summer Meet earlier this year.

• Click here to see full results from the Swim England National Winter Championships 2017.