SWINDON’S Grant Turner cut a disconsolate figure at the British Swimming Championships as his dreams of a London 2012 qualifying berth were temporarily shelved at the London Aquatics Centre.
Turner raced in the 100m freestyle final last night with two individual, and four relay spots, available for the Games this summer.
However despite being one of the pre-race favourites to take one of those berths Turner struggled in East London – ending seventh.
A time of 50.13 seconds was nearly a second outside his personal best of 49.30 as Turner was forced to watch on Simon Burnett took victory in 49.33.
The setback means Turner will, this week at least, be racing in the last chance saloon when he goes in search of a 50m freestyle berth, starting in the heats this morning.
A second chance for redemption will come at the second Olympic trials, the ASA Nationals, later this year in Sheffield.
But despite his disappointment the 22-year-old insisted he couldn’t have done any more.
“It didn’t go to plan for me,” he said. “It’s one of those things that happens. You win some, you lose some.
“I’ve got a lot quicker in me than that but I tensed up a bit in that one and it didn’t come out.
“I’ll go to the next trials and try to get that time so it’s not over yet. It’s going to have to be all on the 50m free now so it’s about making sure I get that one absolutely right.
“I need to make sure the preparation is good and make up for the 100m because I’m frustrated with that swim.”
Elsewhere, in the 200m breaststroke Hannah Miley continued her flawless week by easing into the finals at a canter.
Miley has already booked her London 2012 berth – with victory in the 200 and 400m individual medley – and she was in fine form again in the breaststroke.
The Swindon-born swimmer qualified third fastest for today’s final with a swim of 2.30.31 minutes behind Molly Renshaw and Stacey Tadd.
Meanwhile in the 200m butterfly final another Swindon representative Tilly Gray ended the evening in an agonisingly fifth place – but she was delighted with it.
Gray clocked 2.11.63 minutes on her way to fifth as World Championship silver medalist Ellen Gandy claimed the butterfly double, adding the 200m title to the 100m crown she claimed earlier in the week.
“It was a personal best so I'm really, really chuffed with that I couldn't ask for anything more really,” said Gray. “The last bit really did burn but it is always the way.
In the race for Paralympic qualification, London 2012-bound Stephanie Millward claimed silver in the multi-disability 100m butterfly.
Miley is a member of Team Kellogg’s – Kellogg’s has been supporting British Swimming for more than 15 years on a ‘grassroots to gold medals’ programme of swimming. For more information visit www.kelloggs.co.uk/swimming.
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