James is the Guy as he cruises to National Winter Championships title

James Guy blitzed the field on his way to gold in the Men’s 100m Butterfly title at the Swim England National Winter Championships.

The 23-year-old Bath University swimmer clocked 50.66 to take the title by 1.21 seconds from the silver medallist, Dearne Valley’s Joe Litchfield.

Guy was almost a second ahead of Litchfield at the halfway stage and never looked like relinquishing his grip on the race as he comfortably touched home first.

Litchfield’s time of 51.87 was 0.11 clear of Stockport Metro’s Thomas Howdle, who clocked 51.98 for the bronze.

Edward Mildred, 15, of Northampton, was the junior gold medallist in 53.42, with Reuben Visda, 15, City of Sheffield, second in 53.44 and Millfield’s Calvin Fry, 14, third after recording 56.88.

Stephens on fire as she storms to gold

Laura Stephens clocked a new personal best as she was also a comprehensive winner in the Women’s 200m Butterfly.

The Plymouth Leander swimmer was third after the first 50m but gradually clawed her way past the front two and had established a comfortable lead of 1.21 seconds after 150m.

Stephens, 19, touched home in 2:04.94, 2.44 seconds ahead of Newcastle’s Emily Large (2:07.38).

The bronze medal was won by City of Sheffield’s Isobel Grant who recorded a time of 2:08.22.

Plymouth Leander’s Sophie Freeman was the winner of the junior gold medal.

The 14-year-old finished in 2:11.11 to beat City of Leicester’s Maisie Elliott, 15, by 0.57 seconds (2:11.68)

City of Leeds’ Charlotte Robinson took third spot in a time of 2:14.91.

Wilby happy to land 50m Breaststroke win

James Wilby triumphed in his first event at the Swim England National Winter Championships as he took gold in Men’s 50m Breaststroke.

The Loughborough University swimmer, who was Team England’s most decorated individual swimmer at the 2018 Commonwealth Games after winning a gold, silver and bronze, finished in a personal best time of 26.61.

That was only 0.24 seconds ahead of City of Oxford’s David Murphy, who took silver in 26.85, while Lawerence Palmer, Putteridge, took the bronze medal in 27.22.

Wilby said: “I’m really happy to win my first event here at the National Winter Championships.

“Short course is not really my thing but I’m working on the turns and starts here and it’s really important for me going forward that I can do that.

“I always like swimming with the guys who put me under pressure and I’m looking forward to the rest of the weekend.”

The junior gold medal was presented to Dartmoor’s Cameron Williams, 14, who clocked 28.62.

Portsmouth’s Oliver Kettle was the junior silver medallist in 29.41, while Millfield’s William Ellington, 15, was the third junior home in 29.69.

Crane secures top spot

In the Women’s 50m Backstroke, Loughborough University’s Emily Crane beat City of Coventry’s Lauren Cox to the gold medal by 0.30 seconds.

The 20-year-old finished in a time of 26.94, with Cox second in 27.24.

City of Manchester’s Chloe Golding was the bronze medallist after clocking 27.49.

Thirteen-year-old Leah Whittaker was the junior gold medallist after beating everyone in the B Final.

The Ealing swimmer finished first in an impressive 28.08 to take the junior gold ahead of Newcastle’s Hannah Slater, 16, who clocked 28.89, while City of Oxford’s Mimi Morley Iszatt, 15, took third in 29.10.