Sarah Vasey lands elusive British title in 100m Breast

Sarah Vasey finally got her hands on a British title as she won 100m Breaststroke gold on the final day of the 2017 British Swimming Championships.

The 20-year old had found one too good for the past three British Championships, winning 50m Breast silver in 2014 before touching second in the 100m Breast in both 2015 and 2016.

She racked up a fourth silver earlier in the meet in Sheffield, beaten by an inspired Imogen Clark in the 50m Breaststroke final as both swimmers ducked under the British record.

But there was nobody better in the 100m Breast as the Loughborough University swimmer clocked a PB 1:06.78 to secure an elusive gold.

“All of the girls have been swimming amazingly this week especially in the breaststroke,” Vasey said. “I knew it was going to be a tough final and a battle but I just wanted to come out on top.

“I knew I had natural speed because I came second in the 50m Breaststroke. I knew I could go out hard and then all the work I’ve been doing has been about the back end so I just had to trust in the work I had done with Mel [Marshall].”

One of the most open finals of the week

The final was billed as one of the most open of the week with 50m Breast champion Clark, 200m Breast champion Jocelyn Ulyett and British record holder Siobhan-Marie O’Connor all lining up.

World Short Course 200m Breast champion Molly Renshaw and European 100m Breast bronze medallist Chloe Tutton also qualified for the final, with Vasey progressing third fastest from the heats.

But after Clark took the race out to turn first in 30.73, it was Vasey who forged her way to the front with dogged determination, ultimately hanging on by just 0.02 seconds from fastest qualifier O’Connor (1:06.80).

Ulyett, riding on a wave of confidence after her 200m Breaststroke victory earlier in the week, clinched bronze for an all-English podium. The Loughborough swimmer took her PB down to 1:07.24 to move to fifth in the all-time British rankings.

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