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Tia Ward secures sixth and seventh Summer Champs golds

Tia Ward secures sixth and seventh Summer Champs golds

July 31, 2016

Tia Ward grabbed her sixth and seventh golds on the penultimate day of the 2016 British Summer Champs in Sheffield.

The 13-year old City of Leeds swimmer has been a revelation on her Summer Champs debut, scooping five individual golds over the first four days.

And her run of form continued into day five as she picked up the 13/14 Yrs 400m Free and 200m IM titles.

The 400m Free final was a close contest, with Millfield’s defending champion Rachel Anderson sticking with Ward as the pair pulled clear of the field.

Having entered the Champs on a lifetime best of 4:25.05, Ward clocked a PB 4:19.21 to take the touch. Anderson was just 0.03 off her PB for silver in 4:20.54.

Ward clocked another PB for gold in the 200m IM, finishing three seconds clear of the field in 2:20.49.

The Leeds swimmer’s previous best was a 2:21.24 effort for the England Programmes squad at April’s Energy Standard Cup in Italy.

Having won last year’s 13/14 Yrs 200m IM title, Ciara Schlosshan repeated the feat in the 15 Yrs age group.

Schlosshan was the youngest 200m IM finalist at this year’s European Junior Championships, where she finished seventh.

And the 14-year old City of Leeds swimmer confirmed her domestic superiority, coming home in 2:17.00 ahead of Guildford’s Sophia Wilson (2:18.55 PB).

Wilson’s Guildford teammate and namesake Alicia Wilson also reached the 200m IM podium, winning gold in the 16 Yrs age group.

A back-and-forth final saw Wilson a second clear after the backstroke leg, but trailing City of Sheffield’s Amy Bell just 50m later.

Bell had lifted the 200m IM crown at last year’s British Summer Championships, with Wilson back in third.

But the Guildford swimmer dug deep to overhaul Bell in the final 50m, touching in a PB 2:16.91. Bell was also on lifetime best form, taking her PB down to 2:17.62.

Matts wins thriller in 17/18 Yrs age group

Stockport Metro’s Katie Matts lifted her second individual title of the meet in the 17/18 Yrs 200m IM.

Another thrilling final saw Matts back in sixth at the half-way stage, before she, Abbie Wood and Constance Dean moved to the front in the all-important breaststroke leg.

Matts ultimately emerged victorious in the freestyle dash to the wall, carving three seconds off her PB for gold in 2:15.10. Loughborough University swimmer Wood, who was fifth at this year’s European Juniors, came home in 2:15.38 for silver. Maidenhead’s Dean also broke 2:16 to touch third on 2:15.70.

Loughborough University’s Emma Day recorded the fastest time of the day to win the senior title.

Like Matts, Day had already won the 200m Breaststroke title in Sheffield, shaving three seconds off her PB in the process.

And Day produced another lifetime best in the 200m IM, moving to seventh in the all-time British rankings with her 2:12.54 effort.

  • Click here to view results from the 2016 European Junior Swimming Championships in Hungary.
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