Anna Maine lands 50m Backstroke gold at Ponds Forge

Anna Maine bagged her fourth title of the 2016 British Summer Championships with 50m Backstroke gold in Sheffield.

The 16-year old Woking swimmer has proved herself queen of the backstroke and freestyle sprint events this week. She won 100m Back gold on day two, before adding the 50m and 100m Free titles over the next two days.

And Maine completed her set with a PB 28.56 for victory in the 50m Back on the penultimate night in Ponds Forge.

Maine finished fourth in the 50m Back at this month’s European Junior Championships in Hungary.

But she sailed past her best time from Hungary of 28.75, missing Lauren Quigley’s English age group record by just 0.01 seconds.

City of Peterborough’s Mollie Allen took the spoils in the 17/18 Yrs 50m Backstroke. Having finished third in the 100m Back, the 17-year old clocked 29.08 to jump two steps up the podium.

There was also an English winner in the youngest 13/14 Yrs age group as Hillingdon’s Ceara Barber finished on top.

Barber had missed out on 100m Back gold by the narrowest of margins earlier in the week, finishing 0.01 seconds behind Team Ipswich’s Amie Philpot.

But the 14-year old was able to make amends in the one length sprint, clocking a PB 29.84 with Philpot also breaking 30 seconds for the first time for silver on 29.92.

British silver medallist Fannon claims age group gold

European Junior bronze medallist Tom Fannon was one of the stars on show in the 50m Freestyle, winning gold in the 17/18 Yrs age group.

The Plymouth Leander swimmer won silver in the British Championships this year, with only British record holder and teammate Ben Proud finishing ahead.

And Fannon proved more than a match for his age group rivals in Sheffield, clocking 22.55 to take the title ahead of Deeping’s Alex Wray on a PB 23.14.

But Fannon wasn’t the fastest swimmer of the day, as Tynedale’s David Cumberlidge eclipsed his time to win the senior title in a PB 22.43.

Cumberlidge trains at Edinburgh University and finished fifth in the 50m Free at this year’s British Champs.

The other age group titles also went to English swimmers. Fannon’s Plymouth teammate Sam Dailley claimed gold with a PB in the 15 Yrs age group.

Dailley took the win in 24.40 to add to his victories in the 100m Free and 100m Fly.

Southport’s Lewis Burras matched his PB of 23.39 to claim the 16 Yrs crown while Preston’s Kyo Tanner broke 25 seconds for the first time to win the 13/14 Yrs title in 24.79.

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