Danny Savage takes 17yrs 50m Freestyle gold

Northampton’s Danny Savage secured his first gold medal of the Swim England National Summer Champs 2017, setting a new personal best time in the 50m Freestyle

Savage, who secured three gold medals at the British Summer Championships last week, was on form in the final. He ducked under his previous best time by over half a second, touching in 23.61.

Savage commented: “It was a good swim. Unfortunately I didn’t qualify for this event last week, I just wanted to come here and do a time which would have been up there last week.

“The training up to this has been going really well, so I had a lot of confidence going in. I would have liked to go a little quicker, but I was happy with the time.”

It was a close battle between second and third positions, with less than a tenth of a second between them.

Wycombe District’s Sam Phippen was half a second behind, taking silver with a time of 24.11. Connor Joyce of Cockermouth took the final podium spot with a time of 24.19.

Whittingham wins one for Southport

Emma Whittingham secured her club’s first gold medal at the competition, with a fast swim in the 17yrs+ 50m Freestyle.

The Southport swimmer, who won 100m Free silver in 2016, clocked her fastest time of the season, touching in 27.02 for the title.

Whittingham commented: “I feel very proud. I wanted to go 26, but getting the gold medal makes up for it. I’ve put in a lot of training and my start went really well, so I’m happy with that.”

Both second and third place touched simultaneously. Both Mount Kelly’s Holly Taylor and Newcastle’s Jane Brown made it to the wall in 27.20.

Taylor took her club’s fifth medal of the meet, going almost half a second faster than her heat swim. Brown also took home silver.

• Click here to see full results from the Swim England National Summer Meet 2017.

Other 50m Freestyle gold medallists:

• Brinley Dorrell (Woking) men’s 13/14yrs – 25.68
• George Robert-Shaw (Basildon Phoenix) men’s 15yrs – 25.09
• Fynn Lewis Gale (Hereford) men’s 16yrs – 24.62
• Cameron Moffatt (Windsor) men’s 18yrs/over – 23.63
• Emma Nettleton (Newquay) women’s 12/13yrs – 27.51
• Abigail Poulton (Guildford) women’s 14yrs – 27.67
• Jocelyn Cosmatos (Leatherhead) women’s 15yrs – 27.64
• Emily Peck (Preston) women’s 16yrs – 27.10