Lizzie Simmonds underlines domestic dominance in 200m Back

Lizzie Simmonds underlined her dominance of British 200m Backstroke with gold on day four of the British Summer Championships 2017.

The Edinburgh University swimmer set a season’s best 2:08.86 to win the senior title by more than three seconds in Sheffield.

Victory brought Simmonds her second gold of the meet, having set her fastest time since 2010 to win the 100m Back.

The 26-year old’s 200m Back time strengthens her position at the helm of the British rankings for 2017 – a list she has topped every year since 2010.

Only British record holder Gemma Spofforth and 2003 world champion Katy Sexton have ever swum faster than Simmonds’ effort tonight in Sheffield, although the English swimmer’s lifetime best is more than two seconds faster; a 2:06.79 from the 2010 British Championships.

City of Leeds’ Tia Ward was the only other English swimmer to win a gold in the 200m Backstroke, defending her title in the 13/14 Yrs age group.

The 14-year old, who was part of Leeds’ gold medal-winning 14/16 Yrs 4x200m Freestyle Relay quartet last night, swam 2:17.16 to retain her crown.

Another of Leeds’ relay gold medallists, Sophie Hobbah, was the top English finisher in the 16 Yrs age group, clocking 2:16.80 for silver.

@Rachelwellings1 picking up her SILVER ?medal on podium for her 200m Bk performance #topjob#SummerChamps17pic.twitter.com/XlRn9WhiQH

— COPS SwimFast (@COPSSwimFast) July 28, 2017

City of Peterborough’s Rachel Wellings also won silver with a 2:15.22 effort in the 17/18 Yrs age group while Niamh Page was the first English athlete home in the 15 Yrs final.

The Newcastle Swim Team swimmer lowered her PB to 2:18.55 to reach the podium and land bronze.

Laura McNab clinches first gold in 100m Freestyle

Team Bath AS swimmer Laura McNab clinched her first gold of the meet after a pair of silvers.

The 15-year old had finished second best in both the 50m and 200m Free earlier in the meet.

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— Team Bath AS (@TeamBathAS) July 28, 2017

But McNab took her place on top of the podium for the 100m Free, setting a lifetime best 56.30 in the final to go fifth in the British 15 Yrs historic rankings.

Olympians Georgia Coates and Ellie Faulkner both won their third golds of the meet in their age groups.

City of Leeds swimmer Coates set a season’s best 56.07 to win the 17/18 Yrs title, adding to her victories from the 200m Free and 200m Breast.

Meanwhile, City of Sheffield’s Faulkner tied her PB of 54.89 to win the senior crown, returning to the top of the podium after golds in the 200m Free and 17/Over 4x200m Free Relay.

Mount Kelly’s Kaylee Dekker won 100m Free gold for the second year running, setting a PB 57.89 for victory in the 15 Yrs age group.

In the youngest age group, Betsy Wizard became just the seventh British 13 year old female swimmer to break 58 seconds for 100m Free, and the fifth fastest in history, as she took silver.

The Northampton swimmer, who also won 200m Free silver, took her PB down to 57.94 to reach the podium.

• Click here to view full results from the British Summer Championships 2017.